Effective retirement planning for a comfortable life post retirement

When planning for the future we think of everything from investment plans, insurance plans, health plans but very few people actually consider pension plans. People usually leave retirement planning for the last people or a few years before they’re due to retire. This is risky business because the best retirement plans are those that start early.

You never know when you may require money when you retire. It could be for a medical procedure, some new investments, helping out your children with their education or business ventures. Or it can be as simple as to travel, buy your dream house where you can spend your old age peacefully. Retirement plans India aren’t given much consideration, but this has to change. While you save for your child’s future, their education, their wedding and their businesses, you should also be saving for your own future as well.

Early retirement planning can help your create a pipeline of investment and accumulate a lump sum that you can use when you retire to lead a comfortable life. For effective retirement planning depending solely on your employer’s pension plans is not enough.  Here are some plans and schemes that you must invest in, in order to have a comfortable retirement.

1.  Invest in ULIPs: You can alter your ULIPs on the basis of what you want to save for, it can be your own business, your child’s education or your own retirement. Unit Linked Insurance Policies that focus on retirement plans invest in equity based funds to avoid taking risks, in turn providing you with handsome returns.

2.  EPFs: The Employees Provident Fund is another way to ensure return during retirement.     It is perhaps one of the most popular pension plans in India. Currently the rate of return from EPF is fixed at 8.5% p.a. EPF also offers deduction up to 1 lakhs limit under section 80C. The interest from EPF is tax free and withdrawal is also tax free if there is continuous service of 5 years.

3.  Invest in bonds: A bond is when a company borrows from you. Purchasing bonds of a particular company is like giving that company a loan. The company will pay you interest on your loan. In the case of some companies the interest can be as high as 10% or 12% p.a. These bonds usually have a maturity of 10 to 15 years. They’re a great way to invest your money for retirement.

Term insurance for parents is the best way to secure your family financially

As parents, one of the biggest worries people have is how to save enough for their children so that they don’t suffer if anything unfortunate happens to their parents. Term insurance for parents is the best savings tool for anyone who wants to ensure that their dependents can be financial secure even after their death.

Term life insurance is a very simple form of insurance. In this policy the policy holder needs to pay a low premium through its term. If the policyholder survives the term of the insurance, neither he/she nor their nominee will receive any payment. But if the policyholder passes away during the term of the policy, his or her nominee will receive a substantial lump sum payment from the insurer.

Term policy is preferred by main because of its simplicity and inexpensive premiums. It is a good way to ensure that your children or any other dependents are taken care of financially in your absence. There are many other advantages of taking term life insurance. Here are some of them.

1.  Simplicity: Term life insurance plans are straightforward. Unlike other insurance plans this type of insurance is simple and easy to understand even for the layman. This makes it easier for the policy holder to make proper, timely premium payments.

2.  Flexible: Opting out of a term life policy is much easier than getting out of other policies. In term policies if you stop paying premium the risk cover ceases and the policy ends. Nothing is payable to you as there is no savings element in the policy.  

3.  Renewable: Many term life insurance policies are "renewable" and "convertible." Renewability ensures that you can go in for another term policy without a medical exam at the end of the first term policy. Convertibility allows you to convert your term life policy into an endowment policy for the same sum assured with associated increase in premium, should this make sense during the term of the policy.

4.  Substantial pay-out: Depending on your policy you can ensure that you can provide for the various financial needs of your family through your term insurance. Term plans for parents are designed in such a way that they can provide for their child’s higher education, business venture, weddings or any other requirement even in their absence.

5.  Cheapest form of life insurance: You will not have to pay a huge premium overtime to ensure that your family is financial secure even after your death. Term life insurance comes at an affordable premium, which means that everyone can buy it.