Retirement is a phase of life that you should look forward to with excitement and joy. It is a time when you can pursue your passions, hobbies, and dreams without worrying about work or financial obligations. However, to enjoy a comfortable and fulfilling retirement, you need to plan and invest wisely. One of the best ways to do that is by opting for a ULIP investment plan.
What is a ULIP investment plan?
ULIP is a kind of life insurance that does two things: it gives you life protection and helps you grow your money. With a ULIP, you can decide how much of your money should go towards insurance premiums and how much should go into an investment fund. You have choices like stocks, bonds, or a mix of both. You get to choose the one that fits your risk tolerance and your retirement needs.
The benefits of a ULIP investment plan for retirement planning are:
- It offers a life insurance policy that ensures your family’s financial well-being in case you pass away unexpectedly.
- It offers market-linked returns that can help you beat inflation and grow your retirement corpus over the long term.
- It gives you the flexibility to switch between funds, increase or decrease your premium, and withdraw partially or fully from your fund after a lock-in period of five years.
- ULIP tax benefits under Section 80C and 10(10D) are another key feature. Under these sections, you get tax benefits up to ₹1.5 lakhs for the premiums paid along with tax-free maturity proceeds.
How to plan your retirement with a ULIP investment plan?
To plan your retirement with a ULIP investment plan, you need to follow these simple steps:
- Step 1: Define your retirement goals and aspirations. Think about the kind of lifestyle you want to lead after retirement, your expenses and your sources of income. You also need to consider inflation, life expectancy, and healthcare costs.
- Step 2: Determine the funds you will need to achieve your retirement goals. Use a retirement planning calculator to know how much corpus you will require and how much monthly income you will need in your retirement years.
- Step 3: Choose a ULIP investment plan that matches your risk profile and retirement horizon. You can compare different ULIP plans online and select the one that offers the best features, benefits, and returns.
- Step 4: Start investing in your ULIP investment plan as early as possible and continue until retirement. The earlier you start, the more time you will have to accumulate wealth and benefit from the power of compounding. You can also increase your premium as your income grows and take advantage of the top-up facility.
- Step 5: Monitor and review your ULIP investment plan regularly and adjust to your changing needs and market conditions. You can switch between funds to optimise your returns, rebalance your portfolio to maintain your asset allocation, and withdraw partially or entirely from your fund to meet your liquidity needs.
Example of a ULIP investment plan for retirement planning
Mr Sharma is 35 years old and wants to retire at 60. He has a monthly income of ₹50,000 and wants to maintain the same standard of living after retirement. He expects an inflation rate of 6% and a return on investment of 12% from his ULIP plan. He has no existing savings or investments for retirement.
Using a retirement planning calculator, he finds out that he will need an annual income of ₹16,28,000 and a retirement corpus of ₹3,25,60,000 to achieve his retirement goals. To accumulate this corpus, he must invest ₹12,000 monthly in a ULIP plan for 25 years.
He chooses a ULIP plan that offers him a life cover of 10 times his annual premium, i.e., ₹14,40,000. He also opts for an equity fund that invests in large-cap stocks and has a track record of delivering consistent returns. He pays his premium regularly and increases it by 10% every year. He also makes use of the top-up facility and invests an additional ₹50,000 every year.
After 25 years, his corpus stands at ₹3,42,00,000, which is more than his required amount. He also enjoys a tax-free maturity benefit and a life cover throughout the policy term. He withdraws his corpus and invests it in a debt fund that offers him a return of 8% post-retirement. He receives a monthly income of ₹1,36,000, which is sufficient to meet his expenses and maintain his lifestyle.
Conclusion
A ULIP investment plan is a smart and effective way to plan your retirement and secure your financial future. It offers you the dual benefits of life cover and wealth creation. It is flexible, tax-efficient, and transparent. It also helps you to cope with inflation, market volatility, and changing needs. So, choose a ULIP plan that suits your risk appetite, retirement horizon, and goals. Start investing early, invest regularly, and review your plan periodically.
