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What Is Policy Term? Meaning, Working & How To Choose Policy Term

Even at the best of times, life can be unpredictable and emergencies can strike without a moment’s notice. Therefore, in order to never find yourself in a situation that is financially burdensome, it is recommended to avail a suitable term insurance plan to ensure a safety net.

However, there are various common queries that insurance seekers can have regarding how term insurance works, what is policy term and how to determine a term that is suitable for your needs. To put such doubts to rest, let us take a deeper look at these topics and help you find the suitable term insurance plan.

Investment plans also act as tax-planning tools, as many avenues help reduce tax liability. There are different types of investment plans, and by choosing the right one, you can invest according to your needs and grow your savings.Read Less

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Written ByPalak Bagadia
AboutPalak Bagadia
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Palak Bagadia, Associate – Digital Marketing at Bajaj Allianz Life, with experience spanning content and performance marketing, recruitment, employee engagement in the BFSI industry.
Reviewed ByRituraj Singh
AboutRituraj Singh
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Rituraj Singh,With over 6.5 years of experience in the insurance industry, Rituraj Singh, Manager- Product & Brand Marketing at Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance overlooks new product launches, compliance, and brand projects, leveraging artificial intelligence and technology to enhance outcomes.
Written on: 19th June 2025
Modified on: 19th June 2025
Reading Time: 15 Mins
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What is the Meaning of Policy Term?


It is crucial to know the term insurance meaningto understand how the policy works. After knowing the basics, it's easier to focus on the policy term and what it covers. The policy term is the length of time your insurance coverage is active. During this time, if the life assured passes away, the nominee receives the death benefit. Choosing the right policy term helps ensure your family is financially protected when they need it most.


How Term Insurance Works


Before buying a plan, it’s important to understand how a term policy works. A term insurance policy offers life cover for a specific time. If the insured passes away during this period, the nominee gets a death benefit. Since term policy plans usually have no maturity benefit, their premiums are more affordable. Depending on your needs, you can choose different plan types—like increasing term cover or return of premium options—for added flexibility and value.


Significance of Policy Term


Selecting the length of your term policy is important. A longer term means the financial protection for your family continues longer. For example, if you buy a 30-year policy at age 30, your family will have coverage until you are 60. This term insurance example shows how critical the duration of your policy is when you're thinking long term!

Factors Influencing Policy Term


Several personal and financial factors influence how long your term policy should be:


Age


Younger buyers can choose longer terms at lower premiums. Older individuals may prefer shorter terms due to higher premium costs.


Income


Your earnings impact how much premium you can afford and how long you want coverage. Stable income allows for longer terms.


Financial Goals


Goals like children's education, Home Loans, or retirement help determine how long your policy should last. Align your terms with your responsibilities.


Difference Between Policy Term and Premium Paying Term


While the meaning of "policy term" is quite straightforward, it is often gets confused with another related term "premium paying term". Both of these terms refer to time periods and are closely associated but there is a marked difference between them and thus, should not be used interchangeably.


Policy term refers to the period for which your term insurance policy will remain active. This term is determined at the time of purchasing the insurance plan. It is used to refer to the period during which the life insured is provided coverage by the insurer.


However, premium-paying term refers to an altogether different concept. It refers to the period during which the policyholder is required to pay the premiums for the term insurance plan. In most cases, the premium paying term is equal to the policy term, which is why the two terms are often confused. However, some insurers allow the premium paying term for a term plan to be shorter than the policy term.


For example, if you purchase a term insurance plan to provide coverage for 40 years, the policy termwill be 40 years. However, your insurer might allow you to pay off the premiums for your term plan over a period of 20 years. Hence, in such case your premium paying term will be just 20 years.


How to Determine the Suitable Policy Term for Yourself


Term insurance plans are flexible products and can be suited to meet the needs of a number of individuals. That is why when you compare policy terms, it is ideal to first determine the period for which you would want to avail term insurance. Here are a few factors to consider:


Age


If you are young and just entering the professional world, it might be a preferred time to avail term insurance. Even though you may not have any liabilities or dependents right now, you are at an age where you can easily choose a policy term to provide you with term insurance coverage until retirement.


Liabilities and Dependents


As you grow older, it is expected to have more liabilities, dependents and other financial responsibilities in your life. You might even be the sole earner in your family and have the future needs of your spouse and children to consider. Therefore, it is advisable to avail a policy term that can at least cover a period in the near future or until your responsibilities effectively reduce over time.


Life Goals


You can also opt for a policy term that aligns with the major, long-term goals in your life. For instance, if you are looking to ensure that your children are educated and married in the next 10-15 years, you can make sure that you have coverage until that time. The main objective of term insurance is to make sure that your family achieves their life goals without any financial burden or hurdles along the way.


Conclusion


While it is essential to find the right insurer and the suitable term insurance plan, it is just as important to have a clear idea of the appropriate policy term for you and your nominee(s). In order to make the most of your term insurance plan, make sure that your policy term is well aligned with your age, liabilities and life goals.


FAQs


1. How to Choose Your Policy Term?


The choice of a policy term usually depends on your financial goals and their horizon. It is better to first decide a goal for which you want to buy the life insurance policy. Then, depending on when you would need the funds for fulfilling the goal, you can choose the policy term.


For instance, if you have a child aged 5 years and you want to plan for your child’s higher education, you can choose a term of 10 to 12 years. On the other hand, if your child is just one, you can choose a term of 15 to 20 years.


2. What is Policy Term?


Policy term is the duration over which coverage is allowed under the life insurance policy.


3. What is a suitable policy term?


There is no fixed number for a suitable policy term. The choice depends on your financial goals. The suitable term should be such that it creates a financial corpus for your life goal and gives the corpus when you need it. However, in the case of protection-oriented plans, like term insurance plans, you can opt for a tenure depending upon the duration for which you need a financial backup for your dependents, in your absence.


4. What is the meaning of policy term?


Policy term means the period of time during which your term insurance plan gives life cover. If you die during the term, the nominee gets the death benefit.

 


5. How long is a policy term?


The policy term can be for 1 year or even for whole life.

 


6. What is a 10-year term policy?


A 10-year term policy is a plan which gives life cover for a 10-year policy term only. If the life assured dies, the nominee gets the insured amount.

 


8. What is a 5-year term policy?


A 5-year term policy covers you for 5 years. If you pass away during that time, your nominee will get the sum assured.

 


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*Above illustration is for Bajaj Allianz Life eTouch II - A Non-Linked, Non-Participating, Individual Life Insurance Term Plan (UIN:116N198V01) considering Male aged 25years | Non-Smoker | Policy Term(PT)– 30 years | Premium Payment Term (PPT)– 30 years | Sum Assured opted is Rs.1,00,00,000 | Online Channel | Standard Life | 1st Year Premium is Rs. 5,092. 2nd Year onwards premium Rs. 5,520. Total Premium Rs. 1,65,172 | Medical Rates | Yearly Premium Payment Mode | Death benefit opted is lumpsum payout and monthly instalments (Lumpsum Payout Percentage: 40, Income Payout Percentage: 60). Income payout instalment opted for 40 years | Premium shown above is inclusive of Online Discount only, no other discounts have been considered and exclusive of Goods & Service Tax/ any other applicable tax levied, subject to changes in tax laws, and any extra premium and is for illustrative purpose only. For more details on risk factors, terms and conditions please read sales brochure & policy document (available on www.bajajallianzlife.com) carefully before concluding a sale.

##Tax benefits as per prevailing Section 10(10D) and Section 80C (under old tax regime) of the Income Tax Act shall apply. You are requested to consult your tax consultant and obtain independent advice for eligibility before claiming any benefit under the policy.Above Tax benefit is calculated considering deduction of Rs. 150,000 and applicable tax rate of 31.20%.

**5% Discount applicable for customer's first individual life insurance policy, applicable only on first year’s premium. 5% Discount for salaried customers, applicable only on first year’s premium. 6% Discount on online purchase is available for regular premium payment and limited premium payment frequency on first year's premium.

$Term Insurance plan bought online directly from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has no commissions involved.

^^The Return of Premium means total of all the premiums paid under the base product, excluding any extra premium and taxes, if collected explicitly.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. | IRDAI Reg. No. 116

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I hereby authorize Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. to call me on the contact number made available by me on the website with a specific request to call back. I further declare that, irrespective of my contact number being registered on National Customer Preference Register (NCPR) or on National Do Not Call Registry (NDNC), any Call made, including via Voice over Internet Protocol & WhatsApp, SMS or WhatsApp messages, in response to my request shall not be construed as an Unsolicited Commercial Communication even though the content of the call may be for the purposes of explaining various insurance products and services or solicitation and procurement of insurance business

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Disclaimer

Bajaj Allianz Life eTouch- A Non Linked, Non-Participating, Individual Life Insurance Term Plan (UIN: 116N172V04)

*Tax benefits as per prevailing Section 10(10D) and Section 80C of the Income Tax Act shall apply. You are requested to consult your tax consultant and obtain independent advice for eligibility before claiming any benefit under the policy.Above Tax benefit is calculated considering deduction of Rs. 150,000 and applicable tax rate of 31.20%.

~Individual Death Claim Settlement Ratio for FY 2023-2024

1Premium Holiday has to be selected at inception to avail this benefit and also depends on other policy terms & conditions


Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. | IRDAI Reg. No. 116


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The views stated in this article are not to be construed as investment advice and readers are suggested to seek independent financial advice before making any investment decisions. For more details on risk factors, terms and conditions please read the sales brochure & policy document (available on www.bajajallianzlife.com) carefully before concluding a sale. Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Ltd., Regd. office Address: Bajaj Allianz House, Airport Road, Yerawada, Pune - 411006, Reg. No.: 116, CIN: U66010PN2001PLC015959, Call us on toll free No.: 1800 209 7272, Mail us: customercare@bajajallianz.co.in

BJAZ-WEB-EC-15682/25

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Disclaimer

*Tax benefits as per prevailing Section 10(10D) and Section 80C of the Income Tax Act shall apply. You are requested to consult your tax consultant and obtain independent advice for eligibility before claiming any benefit under the policy.

~Individual Death Claim Settlement Ratio for FY 2023-2024

1Premium Holiday has to be selected at inception to avail this benefit and also depends on other policy terms & conditions


Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. | IRDAI Reg. No. 116

X
Terms & Conditions

I hereby authorize Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. to call me on the contact number made available by me on the website with a specific request to call back. I further declare that, irrespective of my contact number being registered on National Customer Preference Register (NCPR) or on National Do Not Call Registry (NDNC), any call made, SMS or WhatsApp sent in response to my request shall not be construed as an Unsolicited Commercial Communication even though the content of the call may be for the purposes of explaining various insurance products and services or solicitation and procurement of insurance business

 

Please refer to BALIC Privacy Policy

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Disclaimer

%%Above illustration is for Bajaj Allianz Life eTouch- A Non Linked, Non-Participating, Individual Life Insurance Term Plan (UIN: 116N172V03) considering Male aged 25 years | Non-Smoker | Policy Term (PT)– 30 years | Premium Payment Term (PPT) – 30 years | Sum Assured opted is Rs. 1,00,00,000 | Online Channel | Standard Life | 1st Year Premium is Rs. 6,238. 2nd Year onwards premium is Rs. 6,659. Total Premium Paid is Rs. 1,99,349 | Medical Rates | Yearly Premium Payment Mode | Death benefit opted is lumpsum payout and monthly installments (Lumpsum Payout Percentage : 45, Income Payout Percentage : 55) | Premium shown above is exclusive of Goods & Service Tax/any other applicable tax levied, subject to changes in tax laws, and any extra premium and is for illustrative purpose only. This is inclusive of all the discounts mentioned above.

##Tax benefits as per prevailing Section 10(10D) and Section 80C of the Income Tax Act shall apply. You are requested to consult your tax consultant and obtain independent advice for eligibility before claiming any benefit under the policy.Above Tax benefit is calculated considering deduction of Rs. 150,000 and applicable tax rate of 31.20%.

@Term Insurance plan bought online directly from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has no commissions involved.

^^The Return of Premium amount is total of all the premiums received, exclusive of extra premium, rider premium and GST & /any other applicable tax levied, subject to changes in tax laws
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. | IRDAI Reg. No. 116

X
Disclaimer

Bajaj Allianz Life eTouch- A Non Linked, Non-Participating, Individual Life Insurance Term Plan (UIN: 116N172V04)

*Tax benefits as per prevailing Section 10(10D) and Section 80C of the Income Tax Act shall apply. You are requested to consult your tax consultant and obtain independent advice for eligibility before claiming any benefit under the policy.Above Tax benefit is calculated considering deduction of Rs. 150,000 and applicable tax rate of 31.20%.

~Individual Death Claim Settlement Ratio for FY 2023-2024

1Premium Holiday has to be selected at inception to avail this benefit and also depends on other policy terms & conditions


Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. | IRDAI Reg. No. 116


X
Disclaimer

*Above illustration is for Bajaj Allianz Life eTouch II - A Non-Linked, Non-Participating, Individual Life Insurance Term Plan (UIN:116N198V01) considering Male aged 25years | Non-Smoker | Policy Term(PT)– 30 years | Premium Payment Term (PPT)– 30 years | Sum Assured opted is Rs.1,00,00,000 | Online Channel | Standard Life | 1st Year Premium is Rs. 5,092. 2nd Year onwards premium Rs. 5,520. Total Premium Rs. 1,65,172 | Medical Rates | Yearly Premium Payment Mode | Death benefit opted is lumpsum payout and monthly instalments (Lumpsum Payout Percentage: 40, Income Payout Percentage: 60). Income payout instalment opted for 40 years | Premium shown above is inclusive of Online Discount only, no other discounts have been considered and exclusive of Goods & Service Tax/ any other applicable tax levied, subject to changes in tax laws, and any extra premium and is for illustrative purpose only. For more details on risk factors, terms and conditions please read sales brochure & policy document (available on www.bajajallianzlife.com) carefully before concluding a sale.

##Tax benefits as per prevailing Section 10(10D) and Section 80C (under old tax regime) of the Income Tax Act shall apply. You are requested to consult your tax consultant and obtain independent advice for eligibility before claiming any benefit under the policy.Above Tax benefit is calculated considering deduction of Rs. 150,000 and applicable tax rate of 31.20%.

**5% Discount applicable for customer's first individual life insurance policy, applicable only on first year’s premium. 5% Discount for salaried customers, applicable only on first year’s premium. 6% Discount on online purchase is available for regular premium payment and limited premium payment frequency on first year's premium.

$Term Insurance plan bought online directly from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has no commissions involved.

^^The Return of Premium means total of all the premiums paid under the base product, excluding any extra premium and taxes, if collected explicitly.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. | IRDAI Reg. No. 116

X
Terms & Conditions

I hereby authorize Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. to call me on the contact number made available by me on the website with a specific request to call back. I further declare that, irrespective of my contact number being registered on National Customer Preference Register (NCPR) or on National Do Not Call Registry (NDNC), any Call made, including via Voice over Internet Protocol & WhatsApp, SMS or WhatsApp messages, in response to my request shall not be construed as an Unsolicited Commercial Communication even though the content of the call may be for the purposes of explaining various insurance products and services or solicitation and procurement of insurance business

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