Prudential has announced the launch of Pru Dahari-Dumu, the first insurance product in Kenya with a “Never Lapse Guarantee”, a feature that guarantees policy holders will keep their product, and its benefits, irrespective of life’s circumstances.
The “Never Lapse Guarantee” alleviates one of the major concerns Kenyans have about insurance. This is that unforeseen circumstances might lead them to miss some premium payments on their insurance policies which results in these polices “lapsing” and the savings & protection benefits of the policy being lost.
Data compiled by the Association of Kenya Insurers indicates that in Kenya, 1-in-3 policies lapse in the first year. By the end of the third year, 6-in-10 policies will have lapsed. Pru Dahari-Dumu is a five-to-10-year savings product that combines the benefits of savings and life assurance – helping customers and their families achieve their financial goals whilst protecting against the risk of accident, illness or loss of life.
The innovative “Never Lapse” feature means that policies beyond the first six months will never lapse or become inactive. When it comes to paying benefits to the customer or their family, either at maturity or at the claims stage, the payout will be pro-rated based on the overall contribution.
Speaking during the launch, Andrew Greenwood, Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Kenya, said: “At Prudential we understand that when times get tough and your finances are strained, maintaining fixed monthly premiums sometimes isn’t possible. That’s why we are introducing the “Never Lapse Guarantee”. Customers won’t lose their savings if they fall behind with their payments and can resume paying whenever they’re back on their feet, with the option of catching-up on missed premiums to get the maximum benefit from their policy.”
The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) has lauded the launch of Pru Dahari-Dumu. “The perception that the general public has on insurance is that it is complex, expensive and rigid. This product responds to these concerns by being simple to understand, affordable and flexible especially on payments,” said Tom Gichuhi, AKI Executive Director.
At the same time Prudential is also rewarding loyal customers who do pay each & every month. For each year of the policy, if you pay all 12 months’ premiums, we’ll give you back the 12th premium. Alternatively, if you pay 11 months’ premiums, we’ll give you the 12th premium free. Andrew Greenwood said: “At Prudential our customers are at the heart of our business and we are committed to helping Kenyans build better futures by offering innovative and affordable products that meet their needs. Initiatives such as the Never Lapse feature prove that we live our mantra “Always listening, Always Understanding”.”
