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term life insurance review

LIC

7.8/ 10 overall
Updated: 2026-07-13
TLDR
Kevin

“Why waste time say lot word, when few word do trick?”

Updated 2026-07-13What is TL;DR?

High-trust public-sector option, but pure online term plans should still be compared for price and simplicity.

  • Overall score 7.8/10
  • Top fit: public-sector-buyers, brand-trust-seekers
  • Compare plan-level pages before purchase.

Quick Facts

Founded

1956

Headquarters

Mumbai, India

Ownership

Wholly owned by the Government of India, established under the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956

Official Website

https://licindia.in

Score breakdown

Claim Settlement8.7 / 10
Value7.1 / 10
Customer Service7.6 / 10
Digital Experience6.8 / 10
Flexibility7.3 / 10

Claim settlement statistics

We do not publish a claim settlement percentage for LIC unless we can source it. These figures are revised every year and are reported under several different definitions, so a number copied from a comparison site is often the wrong metric entirely. Check the primary source, then read our rating methodology for how we score claim performance ourselves.

Claim Settlement Ratio

Very strong (recent disclosed trend)

High settlement indicates reliable payout.

Formula & source

Complaints Ratio

Check recent policyholder complaints before buying

Lower values indicate better customer support.

Formula & source

Industry benchmark

For FY2024-25, IRDAI reported that general and health insurers together settled roughly 87% of registered health claims, with about 8% repudiated and 5% still pending at year end. Treat that as the bar: an insurer materially below it deserves scrutiny, and any claim of near-perfect settlement deserves a second look at which metric is being quoted.

Three numbers that get confused

Claim settlement ratio

Claims settled as a share of claims registered. Count-based, so many small settled claims can flatter it.

Settled within 3 months

A speed measure, not a payout measure. Often quoted because it looks higher.

Incurred claim ratio

Claim amount paid against premium collected. A different thing entirely, and frequently mislabelled as settlement ratio.

When we publish a ratio we take it from IRDAI filings and average it over three financial years, never from insurer marketing. Where we have not verified a current figure we say so instead of printing a number. See our metric definitions and benchmarks for the formula behind each figure, or go straight to the primary sources: IRDAI annual reports and insurer public disclosures.

All plans

Jeevan Amar

7.7/10

Useful LIC term option for buyers who strongly prefer the public-sector brand.

Rs 10k-26k

Read review

Tech Term

7.8/10

Online LIC term option that should be compared against private digital term plans.

Rs 9k-24k

Read review

Editorial notes

Plain-English take

LIC is often chosen for trust, not lowest price. That is valid for some families, but make sure you are buying pure term insurance and not being nudged into a savings-linked policy.

For term insurance, the insurer matters, but the clean disclosure trail matters more. Do not hide smoking, income, medical history, or risky hobbies just to reduce the premium.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Very high brand trust
  • Large servicing footprint
  • Strong claim familiarity among families

Cons

  • Premiums can be higher
  • Digital buying may feel less polished
  • Offline sales may push non-term products

Who this is for

Best for public sector buyers
Best for brand trust seekers

LIC Frequently Asked Questions

Is LIC good for term insurance?+
LIC can be worth shortlisting if the premium is competitive for your age, income, health profile, and disclosure history.
What should I check before buying LIC term insurance?+
Check claim history, medical underwriting, premium-payment term, rider cost, income proof requirements, and how nominee claims are supported.

Editorial Team

Written By

Yash Vardhan

Insurance specialist with 8+ years analyzing Indian policy wordings.

Edited By

Kevin Malone

Editorial chief. Believes in minimum words and maximum clarity.

FAQ

Should I shortlist LIC?

It can be, but shortlist it with at least two competitors and compare plan-level exclusions before buying.

Which LIC plan is top pick?

Use the plan cards above to review score, verdict, and segment fit before finalizing.

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