Page 2 - Insurance

LIC slips 3% as reports suggest govt to sell 2-3% stake; NBP falls 22% YoY

The government's stake sale aligns with its plan to meet the regulatory requirement of a 10 per cent public shareholding by 2027

Life insurers' new business premium growth drops 11.6% in February

LIC's weak performance drags overall premium growth of the segment

Several hits, few misses in Debasish Panda's 3-year tenure as Irdai chief

Irdai under Panda moved to principle-based regulation from rule-based regulation

Irdai lets insurers to undertake transactions in bond forwards for hedging

Regulator Irdai on Monday permitted insurance companies to undertake transactions in bond forwards as users for hedging interest rate risks. The Reserve Bank has recently issued directions specifying that any entity, eligible to be classified as a non-retail user shall be eligible to undertake transactions in Forward Contracts in Government Securities (Bond Forwards) as a user. In a circular on 'Exposure to Forward Contracts in Government Securities (Bond Forwards)', Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) said that in view of the RBI's directions and considering insurers requests for introduction of Bond Forwards, "insurers are hereby permitted ...to undertake transactions in Bond Forwards as users for hedging purpose". The Irdai has also imposed certain conditions. Insurers should undertake only long positions in Bond Forwards (buying Bond Forwards) and report such transactions on quarterly basis. Also, Bond Forwards are not permitted for ULIP business, I

Insurance cos knock on Irdai door seeking more time to implement Bima-ASBA

The insurance regulator had in mid-February set the March 1 deadline for rollout of the feature, which allows insurers to take a customer's consent and block the premium amount for a period of 14 days

Deposit insurance cover hike may dent banks' net profit up to Rs 12K cr

While the proposed increase in the deposit insurance limit is not known, under various scenarios, the insured deposit ratio (IDR) may increase to 47.0-66.5 per cent

InsuranceDekho raises $70 mn from Beams Fintech, MUFG, BNP Paribas Cardif

The Gurugram-headquartered company serves over 10.2 million customers nationwide, with 21 new policies issued every minute on its platform

Insurance for natural disasters: Points to keep in mind while buying it?

Insurance plays a crucial role in mitigating the financial impact of natural disasters by providing a safety net that helps individuals and businesses recover quickly

Irdai retains obligatory cession at 4% for FY26, third year in a row

Obligatory cession is the portion of business that Indian non-life insurers must mandatorily reinsure with GIC Re

ITR to UPI: Money changes in March that will impact you financially

If you have chosen the old tax regime, ensure that your tax-saving investments under Sections 80C, 80D, 80G, and others are made before March 31, 2025, to maximise tax benefits

Health insurance premium growth in slow lane due to tapering demand

Change in accounting norms, sharp decline in premiums from govt. schemes have also weighed on health insurance premium growth

Irdai allows insurers to hedge volatility through equity derivatives

The regulator also issued guidelines aimed at providing insurers with enhanced opportunities for risk management and portfolio diversification

When you buy personal accident insurance, know what does it cover

Experts say customers should maintain personal accident coverage of at least 10 times their annual income

After HDFC Life, insurers brace for Rs 5,500 cr GST demands amid scrutiny

GST Adjudicating Authority upheld a tax demand of Rs 2,400 crore against HDFC Life Insurance, which could set a precedence for others in the insurance industry

Now you can use Bima-ASBA Facility while buying policy from Bajaj Allianz

Policyholders can utilise UPI's one-time mandate to authorise the blocking of a specified amount in their bank account through UPI

Banks continue to rely on certificates of deposits amid liquidity woes

Outstanding amount on CDs hits all-time high of Rs 5.19 trillion as of fortnight ending February 7

Centre kickstarts process for stake sale in PSBs and listed PFIs

According to the government's disinvestment strategy, five public-sector lenders are required to reduce their government stakes to below 75%

Banks' deposit insurance hike may be on the anvil amid periodic review

Should deposit insurance revisits be episodic? Like after the collapse of Bank of Karad in 1992 and the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank fiasco in 2019

Bima-ASBA will eliminate unauthorised deductions: Insurance sector players

Irdai's decision to implement ASBA facility for insurance premium payment will benefit customers by eliminating unauthorised deductions and delayed refunds, say experts. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has directed life and health insurers to provide Bima-ASBA, a facility wherein a policyholder blocks the amount towards premium in his or her bank account which gets debited only when the policy is issued. Insurers have been asked to implement the new payment mechanism Bima-ASBA (Applications Supported by Blocked Amount) through Unified Payments Interface (UPI). ASBA facility or blocking of funds through UPI is widely used by retail investors in stock market. Commenting on the Irdai's decision, Jitendra Attra, Chief Financial Officer, SBI General Insurance said Bima-ASBA is a significant step toward enhancing transparency, security, and ease in insurance premium payments. "By enabling policyholders to authorise premium payments directly from their ban

Bima-ASBA: New UPI payment mechanism for insurance premiums launched

It allows policyholders to block funds in bank accounts via UPI, ensuring a smoother transaction process without immediate debits