Riders are essentially add-on covers on your base life insurance policy. These add-on benefits enhance the effectivity of your policy and make it much more useful. For example, opting for a critical illness rider on your life insurance policy allows you to ensure that in an unfortunate circumstance where you are unable to continue with your employment due to a critical illness, you and your loved ones have a financial safety net to help you lead a comfortable life. Riders are not mandatory and available at an additional cost.