PRUActive Protect II: A Closer Look at Prudential's New Term Plan

PRUActive Protect II is a regular-premium, non-participating term life plan from Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (rated AA- by S&P). It pairs a level sum assured with critical illness protection covering 64 conditions — the 36 severe-stage illnesses under the LIA's Version 2024 standard definitions, plus 28 additional conditions defined by the insurer. Beyond the core death and critical illness benefits, the plan bundles a Crisis Care Accelerator benefit (50% of sum assured, capped at $100,000, if the life assured undergoes surgery on the heart, lung, brain, kidney or liver and spends at least three continuous days in ICU), an Angioplasty and Other Invasive Treatment benefit, Child Cover, Spouse Waiver, and an option to convert to a new policy. Premiums are not guaranteed and may be adjusted with 30 days' written notice. Across the CompareFIRST criteria, annual premiums range from $134 to $2,457 (average $956 across 16 quotes).

How it compares

Measured on a common basis — age 35, male non-smoker, per $100,000 sum assured — PRUActive Protect II costs $273 per year. That is the highest among its nearest peers here:

• FWD Future First with TPD benefit (To Age) — $138 per year, with a longer coverage band of 21 to 25 years.
• HSBC Term Protect Advantage — $158 per year, though its coverage band is shorter at 6 to 10 years.
• Etiqa Essential term life cover with TPD — $177 per year, with coverage above 40 years.

So the target product costs roughly double the cheapest peer on this basis. The trade-off is breadth: PRUActive Protect II explicitly includes critical illness cover for 64 conditions, a Crisis Care Accelerator payout, and a convertibility feature (it can be converted to a new policy). The comparison table shows no convertibility or renewability flags for the peers, and none of the four products requires no underwriting. Note also that the peers listed are term life plans with TPD, whereas PRUActive Protect II's stated objective centres on critical illness protection — so the premium gap partly reflects different benefit structures rather than pure price difference. Coverage term bands differ too (11–15 years for the target versus 21–25, 6–10 and above 40 for the peers), which affects comparability.

Pros

• Broad critical illness coverage: 64 conditions, including the 36 LIA Version 2024 standard definitions.
• Level sum assured with a convertibility option to a new policy.
• Additional bundled benefits: Crisis Care Accelerator, Angioplasty treatment, Child Cover and Spouse Waiver.
• Backed by an insurer rated AA- (S&P) and protected under the Policy Owners' Protection Scheme.

Cons

• Highest premium per $100,000 sum assured ($273) among the compared peers at age 35, male non-smoker.
• Premiums are not guaranteed and can be adjusted in future with 30 days' notice.
• No renewability feature, and underwriting is required.
• SRS and CPFIS premium payment are not allowed.
• Critical illness payouts exclude pre-existing conditions and apply a 90-day exclusion for heart attack, major cancer and other serious coronary artery disease.

Who it may suit

This plan may appeal to buyers who prioritise comprehensive critical illness protection over the lowest possible premium, and who value bundled benefits such as child cover, spouse waiver and the option to convert later. Buyers focused purely on cheap death/TPD cover at a given sum assured may find the peers in this comparison more cost-efficient, though they should check each plan's benefit scope and coverage term before deciding.

This is general information based on CompareFIRST.sg data, not financial advice. Premiums and features can change; please verify with the insurer or a MAS-licensed financial adviser before making any decision.