Table of Contents
1. Why I’m Writing This (My Personal Story)
2. Insurance Awareness: What Google Won’t Tell You Before Buying a Policy
3. How Insurance Agents Are Actually Trained to Convince You
4. The Untold Truth About Claim Settlement Ratio
5. Free Look Period: The Feature Nobody Uses
6. The Role of Hospitals in Deciding Your Claim (Not Just the Policy)
7. Digital Footprint and Insurance – What You Don’t Realize
8. Riders, ULIPs, and Premium Holidays – The Hidden Traps
9. Real Stories From My Friends and Family
10. Final Tips for True Insurance Awareness
1. Why I’m Writing This (My Personal Story)
I’ll start with honesty.
The first insurance policy that I purchased, I believed I was being smart. I searched on Google, compared plans, read reviews. I thought I knew everything. But years later, I realized most of what I found online was half-truths.
Google tells you “Top 10 plans” or “Best insurance policies.” But nobody told me about the real traps hidden in the system. I learned those only through mistakes, late-night calls with customer care, and watching family members lose money on rejected claims.
That’s why I’m writing this. Insurance Awareness: What Google Won’t Tell You Before Buying a Policy is not another “top 5 list.” It’s a raw mix of what I’ve seen, what I’ve faced, and what very few people talk about.
2. Insurance Awareness: What Google Won’t Tell You Before Buying a Policy
When you type “best life insurance” or “best health insurance” into Google, here’s what happens 👇
* You mostly see ads.
* The rest are websites earning commissions from the plans they recommend.
* The content looks professional but avoids the hard truths.
For example:
* They say “Claim Settlement Ratio is 98%” → but they don’t tell you that includes tiny claims like ₹5,000 health reimbursements, not just big ones like ₹50 lakhs.
* They say “Cashless hospitals covered” → but don’t tell you how hospital tie-ups decide whether your claim is smooth or delayed.
* They say “Policy has riders for extra protection” → but never explain how many of those riders are overpriced or useless.
👉 This is the gap. And this is where insurance awareness actually begins.
3. How Insurance Agents Are Actually Trained to Convince You
Here’s something I bet you haven’t read before.
One of my close friends worked as an insurance agent for a top private company. He showed me his training material. Do you know what the first chapter was?
“How to handle objections.”
Not “how to explain policies.” Not “how to educate customers.”
It was literally about psychology tricks to get people to say yes.
For example:
* If you say “I’ll think about it,” they are taught to reply, “Sir, if you wait, you’ll lose benefits.”
* If you say “Too expensive,” they’re told to compare it with the price of a daily coffee.
* If you say “I already have insurance,” they’re told to create fear by saying, “But is your family really safe?”
This doesn’t mean agents are bad people. But it shows why you can’t depend only on what they tell you. You need your own insurance awareness.
4. The Untold Truth About Claim Settlement Ratio
Google is full of articles saying:
“Choose companies with high Claim Settlement Ratios (CSR).”
But here’s the hidden truth 👇
* CSR includes all claims - small, medium, and big. A company can approve thousands of ₹5,000 health bills and show a “98% settlement rate,” while rejecting big ₹50 lakh term insurance claims.
* What matters more is the Claim Amount Settlement Ratio - how much money is actually paid vs. how much is claimed. Most people don’t know this even exists.
👉 Next time you buy, check both numbers on the [IRDAI website](https://www.irdai.gov.in). This one fact alone can save your family from heartbreak.
5. Free Look Period: The Feature Nobody Uses ⏳
You can have a free look period on every policy, did you know it? It’s usually 15 days.
That means you can cancel the policy, no questions asked, and get most of your money back.
I used it once when I realized I had been pushed into a ULIP (Unit Linked Insurance Plan) that I didn’t even want. Most people don’t even know this option exists because agents rarely tell you.
Why? Because if you cancel in the free look period, their commission gets reversed.
👉 This is what I suggest: once you have received your policy paper work, focus your attention on reading it carefully within 15 days. If it doesn’t match what was promised, cancel it.
6. The Role of Hospitals in Deciding Your Claim (Not Just the Policy) 🏥
This one blew my mind.
Your health insurance claim depends not only on your policy but also on hospital tie-ups.
Example:
* If your hospital is in the cashless network, your claim is smooth.
* If not, you have to pay first and then claim, which can take months.
* Some hospitals push certain insurance companies because of higher payouts.
Nobody on Google tells you this. But trust me, in an emergency, this makes the biggest difference.
So before buying, check the list of hospitals in your area. If your preferred hospital isn’t there, think twice.
7. Digital Footprint and Insurance – What You Don’t Realize 📱
This is a new one. Insurance underwriting is changing.
I spoke with a manager who admitted companies now quietly use your digital footprint:
* Your medical test reports uploaded online.
* Your credit score.
* Even your lifestyle data from apps like fitness trackers.
Example: if you post on Facebook about smoking or drinking, or if your health app shows poor activity, some insurers might quietly rate you as “high risk.”
Scary? Yes. But it’s happening. And Google blogs won’t tell you this.
8. Riders, ULIPs, and Premium Holidays – The Hidden Traps
A few points people never explain clearly:
* Riders (add-ons): Accident cover, critical illness, waiver of premium. Sounds good, but many are overpriced compared to standalone covers.
* ULIPs: Market-linked plans disguised as insurance. High charges eat your money.
* Premium Holiday: Some policies allow you to skip payments. But what they don’t say is your policy value reduces and charges keep eating into your fund.
👉 One of my cousins paid into a ULIP for years and later realized he had lost over ₹2 lakhs, simply because he never knew how the hidden charges were eating into his money
9. Real Stories From My Friends and Family
Let me share quickly:
* The term insurance of my friend was declined as his dad failed to report a small operation that had occurred some years back. He thought it wasn’t important. It cost his family ₹25 lakhs.
* My colleague bought a “cashless” health policy, but his local hospital wasn’t in the network. He had to borrow money during treatment and got reimbursed months later.
* My uncle canceled his policy after 3 years thinking he’d get full value. He got back less than half.
👉 These are not rare stories. They happen every day.
10. Final Tips for True Insurance Awareness 💡
* Never buy insurance as an investment. Keep it separate.
* Always check the claim amount settlement ratio, not just the claim count.
* Use your free look period if needed.
* Double-check if your hospital is in the network.
* Don’t blindly add riders. Compare costs to stand alone policies.
* Disclose every health detail, no matter how small.
* And remember: agents are trained to sell. You need to be trained to protect yourself.
👉 To know more, visit [Investopedia Insurance Guide] (https://www.investopedia.com/insurance-4427704) and the overall portal of IRDAI.
Final Thoughts
Insurance Awareness: What Google Won’t Tell You Before Buying a Policy is not about scaring you. It’s about preparing you.
I have done wrong choices, lost money, and learned.You don’t have to repeat them.
Insurance is necessary. But only if you’re fully aware of how it works. Don’t let half-information guide one of the most important financial decisions of your life.
Stay aware. Stay safe. And always read the fine print.
0 Comments