ManuProtect Term (II) is a non-participating term life plan from Manulife. The basic plan covers death and terminal illness, with the option to add on a total and permanent disability (TPD) rider and other critical illness (CI) riders.
It is available as a renewable term or level term plan depending on your selected policy term.
Here’s our review of it.
My Review of the Manulife ManuProtect Term (II)
If you’re a smoker, the Manulife ManuProtect Term II is a good consideration for a term life insurance plan, especially if you have plans to quit smoking within the next 3 years.
If you’re not aware, smokers pay more expensive premiums as compared to non-smokers.
Therefore, the QSI benefit is advantageous as you get to pay non-smoker premium rates for the first 3 years. And if you manage to quit in time, you can continue paying non-smoker premiums.
On top of that, it offers guaranteed renewability and conversion, with the flexibility to select from a decent range of policy terms and riders, allowing you to customise your plan based on your needs.
However, there is a downside which is that it has a maximum policy term of 40 years, so if you’re looking for coverage for a longer period, this would not be the plan for you.
Take a look at a comparison of convertible term plans available in the market (seen below).
Although it is not the cheapest plan out there like China Taiping i-Protect (Convertible only), Singlife’s Elite Term (Renewable & Convertible), and Tokio Marine Term Assure (II) (Renewable & Convertible), it does offer attractive features, like the QSI and CCE (II) rider with Serious Illness of a Child Benefit.
| Singlife Elite Term* | Tokio Marine Term Assure (II)* | Manulife ManuProtect Term (II)* | Great Eastern GREAT Term | China Taiping i-Protect | |
| Annual Premium (SGD$) | 535 | 545 | 637 | 672 | 498 |
| Total Premium (SGD$) | 21,400 | 21,800 | 25,480 | 26,880 | 19,920 |
^Premiums generated based on a 30-year-old male, non-smoker, $500K sum assured with a 40-year term
*Has both renewable and convertible option
In fact, if you’re a smoker, you might be paying lower premiums as compared to Singlife’s Elite Term for the first 3 years with the QSI benefit.
| Singlife Elite Term | Manulife ManuProtect Term (II) | |
| Annual Premium for first 3 Years (S$) | 801 | 637 |
^Premiums generated based on a 30-year-old male, smoker, $500K sum assured with a 40-year term
The Manulife ManuProtect Term (II) has also been named as one of the best term plans in Singapore based on our comparisons.
However, it’s always best to find out if there are alternatives that might be better for you.
A term plan requires a commitment of anywhere between 20 to 30 years of premium payments – you don’t want to sign up for a plan now without exploring alternatives, only to regret your decision a few years later.
And based on working with many Singaporeans over the past few years, this is more common than you think.
Thus, we suggest reading our comparison of the best term plans in Singapore as a starting point.
After which, you should get a second opinion to whether Manulife’s ManuProtect Term (II) is the best choice for you, or if there are options that might be better for you.
Should you need someone to talk to for a second opinion, we partner with MAS-licensed financial advisors who are happy to assist.
Click here for a free non-obligatory chat.
Now let’s explore the Manulife ManuProtect Term (II) deeper.
Criteria
- Minimum sum assured of S$75,000
- Coverage up to age 85
Product Features
Policy Term
Depending on whether you want a level or renewable term policy, there are various policy terms you can choose from such as:
- 5 or 10 years (renewable & convertible)
- 11 to 40 years (level & convertible); or
- Coverage up to age 65, 75 or 85 (level & convertible)
Premium Term & Options
ManuProtect Term (II) is only available as a regular premium plan, with level and guaranteed premiums throughout the policy term. You can opt for a premium payment frequency of monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annually.
Comparison of Premiums for Level & Renewable Plan
| Level & Convertible Term | Renewable term | |
| Annual Premium (S$) | 637 | 232 |
| Total Premium Paid for 40 years (S$) | 25,480 | Cannot be determined as premiums are revised at each renewal |
^Premiums generated based on a 30-year-old male, non-smoker, $500K sum assured
The annual premium for a renewable term is lower than that of the fixed term as a level term provides coverage for a longer period of time.
While premiums for the level term are higher, they remain constant throughout the entire policy term, offering more certainty. On the other hand, premiums for a renewable term plan are revised at each renewal based on your age.
Protection
ManuProtect Term (II)’s base plan provides Death and Accelerated Terminal Illness (TI) coverage.
Death Benefit
Upon the life insured’s death, the policy pays out the sum assured in a lump sum.
Accelerated Terminal Illness (TI) Benefit
A TI is defined as an illness that would lead to the life insured’s death within 12 months. However, the life assured will be excluded from this benefit if he/she has Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
If the life insured is diagnosed as terminally ill by a medical examiner and verified by Manulife’s appointed medical examiner, the policy’s sum assured will be accelerated and paid as a lump sum.
Do note that for all policies covering the same person, the maximum amount Manulife pays for all TI and critical illness claim(s) is S$2,000,000, and S$1,000,000 for TI claim(s).
Therefore, any sum in excess of these limits will not be paid out.
If there is any remaining sum not paid following the TI claim, the policy remains in force, but will only cover death. The remaining coverage will be the policy’s initial sum insured minus the payout for the TI claim.
Additional Features & Benefits
Conversion Privilege
You have the flexibility to convert your policy – partially or fully – any time before the policy anniversary following your 65th birthday.
It can be converted into any regular premium life insurance plan from Manulife’s suite of products – from whole life plans, endowment, to investment-liked policies. No medical underwriting is required.
There are certain conditions for conversion, including but not limited to:
- The guaranteed death benefit of the new plan cannot be more than the sum insured of your original policy
- If the new plan covers additional benefits other than death and TI, you will need to undergo medical underwriting for the additional benefits
- The premium rate for the new plan is calculated based on your age at the time of conversion
If your policy was issued on a non-standard term, the converted plan will also be issued on a non-standard term. For example, if you have a health condition that requires payment of extra premiums, it will be carried over to your converted plan as well.
Supplementary benefits attached to the policy cannot be converted unless specified. If you fully convert your policy to another insurance plan, the policy and any add-on riders will terminate.
Guaranteed Renewable
Under this feature, 5 and 10-year term policies are automatically renewed at the end of the term, regardless of your health for a duration that is the same as your initial policy term.
This means that at the end of a 5-year policy term, the policy will be renewed for another 5 years. Do note that automatic renewal only occurs if your policy is still in force and premiums are paid before the end of the grace period.
At the last renewal, before the policy expires, the renewed term is equal to the number of years from renewal to the policy anniversary after your 85th birthday.
In other words, if your policy is renewed when you are 82, the renewal term is only 3 years.
As mentioned, premiums will be revised at every renewal based on your age.
Quit Smoking Incentive (QSI)
With QSI, smokers get to enjoy a cheaper non-smoker premium rate for their first 3 policy years. This feature is only available for level and convertible plans with a policy sum insured of at least S$500,000 throughout the first 3 policy years.
The feature will not be available if the sum assured drops below S$500,00,
If there is sufficient evidence that the life insured has quit smoking by the 3rd policy anniversary, his/her smoking status will be converted to a non-smoker status and future premiums will be charged at a non-smoker rate.
However, if the life insured cannot provide sufficient evidence, he/she will be charged a smoker rate for future premiums.
To change to a non-smoker status, the life insured must:
- Send in a completed tobacco use questionnaire; and
- Go for a micro-urinalysis test and/or other medical tests (if Manulife requires). The cost of the micro-urinalysis test will be reimbursed if successful.
Supplementary Benefits (Riders)
Based on your needs, you can add on a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) rider and/or other Critical Illness riders.
Total and Permanent Disability Plus (II) (TPD (II))
TPD (II) is a regular premium rider that provides protection for TPD. If you suffer a TPD, this benefit accelerates the payout of the death benefit for your ManuProtect Term (II) plan.
The payout can be full or partial depending on the rider’s sum assured.
Manulife pays a maximum of $5,000,000 for all disability claims made by one person across all their policies. If the base policy’s sum assured is not fully paid out following a claim, it will remain in force with coverage for death and terminal illness.
| Age | TPD Plus occurs in the following situations: |
| 0 to policy anniversary directly after life insured turns 85 | If life insured suffers:
Loss of use refers to total, continuous and irrevocable functional disablement of a limb that lasts 6 months |
| 0 to policy anniversary directly after the life insured turns 16 | When life assured requires at least 6 consecutive months of constant care and attention and confinement to a home, hospital or similar place due to an accident, illness or disease.
This need for constant care and continuous confinement is expected to be permanent. |
| Policy anniversary after the life insured turns 16 to policy anniversary after the life insured turns 85 | When, due to an accident, illness, or disease, the life insured is unable to engage in any occupation, work, business or any income-generating activity for at least 6 consecutive months. This inability to engage in work that generates wages is expected to be permanent;
Or When life insured becomes permanently unable to perform 3 or more of the 6 activities of daily living even with the help of special equipment. Throughout the activity, the assistance of another person is also required for a consecutive period of 6 months or more. Activities of daily living are:
A medical examiner (as defined within the policy contract) must confirm and certify this diagnosis |
| Policy anniversary after the life insured turns 65 to policy anniversary after the life insured turns 70 | See (b) in the row above. |
TPD Plus (II) Rider Term
If your basic policy is a renewable term plan, the TPD Plus (II)’s term will follow the basic policy.
If your basic policy is a level term plan, you can opt for:
- A rider term of 11 to 40 years; or
- Coverage up to age 65, 75 or 85
Conversion Privilege
If the basic plan is converted to a new plan with accelerating TPD benefit, this benefit may also be converted, partially or fully, with the basic plan regardless of health condition.
Conversion can be done any time before the rider anniversary immediately after your 65th birthday, as long as the rider is still in force.
If the new plan has an embedded TPD benefit, TPD Plus (II) will automatically be converted together with the basic plan. If the TPD benefit is only available as an add-on rider under the new plan, you have to apply for the rider.
The new plan’s guaranteed TPD benefit cannot be more than the sum insured of this rider and should be significantly similar to TPD Plus (II) as determined by Manulife. If not, the life insured will need to undergo a medical examination for the new TPD benefit.
Guaranteed Renewable
This rider is only guaranteed renewable if the basic policy is a renewable and convertible plan.
Based on this feature, TPD Plus (II) will automatically be renewed at the end of the rider benefit term for the same duration without any medical underwriting.
Premiums will be revised at renewal based on the insured’s age at the start of the renewal.
Critical Illness (CI) Riders
The minimum CI coverage is S$25,000.
Critical Care Enhancer (II) Rider (CCE (II))
This supplementary benefit provides coverage for 36 CIs (as indicated in the policy document), and will accelerate the death benefit payout of the base plan upon diagnosis of one of the covered CI.
Depending on the sum assured of the rider, the payout might be full or partial.
The following claim limits apply for claims made by a person across all his policies:
- For TI and CI claim(s): Maximum of S$2,000,000
- For TI claim(s): Maximum of $1,000,000
Any amount in excess of the claim limit will not pay out. If the basic policy’s sum assured is not fully paid out after a CI claim, it will remain in force for death and TI coverage.
Serious Illness of a Child
CCE (II) also provides an additional payout if your child is diagnosed with any of the 36 covered CIs, with the limits below:
- Payout will be a lump sum of S$10,000 per child per policy
- Only 1 CI claim will be paid per child per policy
- The maximum claimable amount is S$20,000 per policy
If you have more than one policy with “Serious Illness of a Child Benefit”, the maximum payouts are subjected to the following, regardless of the number of policies held:
- A maximum payout of S$40,000 per child
- A maximum claimable amount of S$80,000 per family
At diagnosis date, the child must be 30 days old but less than 18 years old. The benefit is only applicable for child(ren) born by a biological parent or legally adopted child(ren).
CCE (II) Rider Term, Conversion Privilege, Guaranteed Renewable
Rider term options, conversion privilege, and guaranteed renewable features are the same as that of TPD Plus (II).
Critical Care Waiver Rider
With this rider, upon diagnosis of a covered CI, your future premiums will be waived. As there is limited information available online, please refer to your policy contract for full details.
Early Critical Care Waiver
Similarly, this rider waives your premiums upon diagnosis of a covered critical illness at any stage. Please refer to your policy contract for more details.
References
https://www.manulife.com.sg/en/solutions/life/term-life-insurance/manuprotect-term.html
