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Takaful protection may not be an exciting topic to dwell on but it is among the most important to discuss.
The Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) had reported earlier this year that the percentage of the population with life insurance or Takaful plans is still low at 54%.
While the figure may come as a surprise, Takaful or insurance protection has always been a part of your life – you were probably secured with a medical plan if you had studied abroad, while a motor insurance or Takaful plan is a must if you own a vehicle and many jobs today also offer insurance or Takaful coverage as part of its employee benefits.
How protection needs change at every life stage
As your life progresses from schooling to your first job, and when you begin climbing that corporate ladder, your protection and coverage priorities will inevitably change or grow.
As you start a family, you may find yourself responsible for your spouse, and as a parent, responsible for your children as well. Greater responsibilities come with even more commitments, and you should always be prepared for any eventualities.
Here’s a snapshot of how protection priorities may differ according to life stages:
| Life Stage | Single | Marriage | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | You are single and are currently building your career. | You are now married, which means you are responsible for your spouse as well. | You and your spouse are keen on building a bigger family. You currently have one child. |
| Reason | A medical Takaful plan may take higher priority at this stage as you do not have any dependant. | With your spouse as your dependant, it is recommended that you sign up for a Family Takaful plan. This is to ensure your spouse will be able to cope financially in the event you are unable to provide. You can also include your spouse under your medical Takaful plan to ensure financial comfort in the event of an illness. | With more dependants, it is best for you to add them to your medical plan to ensure you and your loved ones are financially protected in the event of an illness, while a Family Takaful plan ensures your family is well protected should you no longer be around to care for them.. |
Rather than taking individual Takaful plans for each family member, opting for an all-in-one family plan could be an option for growing families.
How much coverage will your family need?
There are various factors to take into account when it comes to determining your coverage amount and the most prominent one would be your monthly expenditure. So, let’s consider these two simple scenarios:
| Scenarios | Family A | Family B |
|---|---|---|
| Johan (a Takaful participant) is the sole breadwinner for his household. His wife, Akma is a housewife and they have a two-year-old toddler. | Farhan and Farah (both are Takaful participants) are both working and have two children. | |
| Transport | RM1,030 | RM1,040 |
| Housing | RM870 | RM870 |
| Utilities & Healthcare | RM400 | RM430 |
| Food | RM1,300 | RM1,550 |
| Childcare | RM650 | RM1,150 |
| Savings | RM400 | RM400 |
| Miscellaneous Expenditure | RM1,080 | RM1,180 |
| Total Monthly Expenditure | RM5,730 | RM6,620 |
| Annual Expenditure | RM68,760 | RM79,440 |
Source: https://www.kwsp.gov.my/documents/20126/131635/Panduan_Belanjawanku.pdf/76872674-983a-3860-19a3-c47d2d2d2ab6
Both families spend between RM68,000 and RM80,000 per year to maintain a reasonable standard of living – this includes miscellaneous expenses of social participation such as weddings and events, as well as one-off purchases or expenditures, personal care and discretionary fees (allowance for parents, insurance etc).
Hence, planning for insurance coverage should not revolve around the bare minimum required, but instead, it should be able to maintain your lifestyle as miscellaneous items are unavoidable. While we cannot pinpoint the exact amount of coverage you need as this would require thorough assessments by a qualified insurance or Takaful provider, we have drafted out a suggested coverage to showcase the importance of determining a proper sum covered.
| Suggested Coverage | Reason |
|
|---|---|---|
| A | RM300,000 | As the coverage would need to cover Johan’s dependants in the event he is no longer able to care for them, such as sudden death or disability, the coverage should be able to support Akma and their child, while maintaining their standard of living. Considering their monthly expenditure totals to RM68,760, the suggested coverage would last them roughly four years to be financially comfortable as they cope with the unexpected turn of events. The amount is also sufficient to cover the costs related to the incident, such as a funeral. |
| B | RM500,000 | In this scenario, it’s best to take the average maximum coverage offered for family Takaful plans in the market as Farhan and Farah have two children. Should either parent encounter an event where they are unable to provide any longer, the suggested coverage would last approximately six years as their annual expenditure is RM79,440. |
Opting for the minimum amount could potentially leave your family vulnerable should something untoward happens to you which will affect your income. Remember, there can also be economic factors at play such as inflation or economic downturn.
When you are determining your sum covered, here are some key questions to ask yourself: How many dependents do you have, what type of debts do you carry, and how you plan for your future needs which could include your children’s educational costs. Nevertheless, ensure you relay these concerns to a qualified insurance or Takaful provider to get an adequate coverage amount that matches your needs and priorities.
Have you considered an AIA PUBLIC Family Takaful plan?
Before you participate in any Takaful plan, you need to understand the type of Takaful plans that are available in the market. Choosing the wrong Takaful plan is not that much better than not getting a Takaful plan at all.
AIA PUBLIC Takaful Berhad offers two types of family Takaful plans – one focuses solely on medical and hospitalisation coverage, while the other is a Takaful plan where the sum covered is paid out in the event of a death, total and permanent disability (TPD) or accidental death.
Hence, your coverage needs typically boil down to your dependants; the more dependants (spouse and children) you have, the more reason you should increase your Takaful coverage.
Here’s what you need to know to find out which is the right plan for you:
A-Life Medik Famili
• What is it: A comprehensive coverage on medical and hospitalisation, which allows you to add up to four children under the same plan. They will be entitled to the same coverage as you.
• The coverage: The coverage is set at RM150,000 with no lifetime limit which means you get to enjoy the same annual sum covered every year right up to the age of 100 years old!
• The entry age: This plan allows you to add on your spouse and children from as young as 14 days old and up to 70 years old. The entry age also applies for the participant, which means you can sign up for the Takaful plan if you are aged 70 and below. Bear in mind, that the older you are, the higher your Takaful contribution (how much you pay) will be.
• The benefits: This plan covers both in-hospital care such as your hospital room and board, supplies, surgical fees and operating theatre fees, as well as out-of-hospital care such as day care procedures and surgeries, emergency treatments, nursing care, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation.
• Extra coverage: While the plan allocates an annual sum of RM150,000, there is also an additional sum of RM300,000 per lifetime for out-patient kidney dialysis and cancer treatment.
A-Life Kasih Famili
• What is it: This is a Family Takaful plan, which offers a sum covered which is paid out to your family should you encounter death, total and permanent disability (TPD) or accidental death.
• The coverage: You can opt for a sum between RM50,000 and RM500,000 – this will ultimately be the amount that will be paid out to your family in the event of your death, disability or accidental death.
• The entry age: Those aged between 16 and 60 years old are entitled to this plan.
• Riders: This plan offers two riders, which are spouse coverage and critical illness. The spouse rider allows you to add your spouse for the same coverage of death, disability and accidental death, while the critical illness rider provides financial aid in the event you encounter one of the listed critical illnesses.
Here are two bonus benefits of AIA Takaful plans!
While Takaful coverage remains a necessity when it comes to protection, there are additional bonus benefits that make taking up a plan even more attractive:
• Takaful and Surplus: Both Takaful plans provide the Takaful protection you need as well as the benefit of sharing any excess Takaful risks. Each participant contributes to a fund (Participants’ Risk Fund (PRF)) which acts as a ‘brotherhood’ to assist others in times of need. There may be a surplus declared by the company on a yearly basis, where the sum will be shared between the Takaful Operator (AIA PUBLIC Takaful) and the participant (you) with a 50:50 ratio.
• Income tax relief: One of the most obvious benefits is that premium or contribution made for insurance or Takaful plans is tax claimable. You are entitled for an annual personal tax relief of up to RM3,000 for a medical plan!
