Today, it’s important to stay active and involved in activities or hobbies, especially after you retire. When you’re working, it’s easier to manage your expenses and save money, but once you retire, you’ll need a good amount of savings to live comfortably and keep doing things you enjoy. That is why preparing for your retirement corpus is essential.
One prudent way to prepare for retirement is by considering investing in a ULIP (Unit Linked Insurance Plan). A ULIP is an essential kind of plan that endows you with two distinct advantages – it serves as life insurance and even allows you to invest in bonds or the stock market. This infers you can safeguard your family with insurance if something unanticipated occurs to you and, at the same time, ensure your wealth grows for the future depending on how well your investments perform.
Building your retirement savings with ULIPs involves a few steps –
⮚ Select your life insurance coverage
The life insurance policy portion of ULIP is one of the crucial types of life insurance policy as it ensures your family member’s financial security. To determine the cover amount, factor in your existing income, debts, and future financial obligations. The thumb rule is to have an adequate cover of 10 to 15 times your yearly income. This ensures that in the scenario of your untimely death, your family can maintain their living standards with zero financial stress.
⮚ Figure out how much money you will need
Figuring out your retirement requirements includes a careful look at your existing expenditures and considering how they may change. For instance, some expenditures, such as commuting, may go down, but medical care could go up. Inflation enhances the living cost over time. Consider the lifestyle that you want during your retirement days – travel, hobbies and whether you plan on downsizing or moving. Compute a rough annual amount you will require, then use an online retirement calculator to figure out the overall sum required to sustain that standard of living throughout retirement.
⮚ Pick your investment options
ULIPs offer a range of funds with different risk profiles. Equities (stocks) are high-risk but offer the potential for high returns, suitable for those far from retirement. Debt funds are safer, with lower returns, ideal as you near retirement. Hybrid funds mix both, offering a balance. Assessing your risk tolerance and investment horizon is key. Younger investors might lean towards equities for growth, while older investors might prefer debt for stability.
⮚ Plan for the long-term
The power of compounding works best over long periods. A longer investment horizon in ULIPs not only smoothens out volatility but also allows substantial growth of your corpus. Planning for a 20–30-year investment can significantly impact your retirement savings, as the initial years focus on growth and later years on preserving capital.
⮚ Change your investments if needed
Economic conditions and personal circumstances change. ULIPs allow you to switch between funds to manage these changes effectively. If the market looks volatile, moving to debt can safeguard your capital. Conversely, if the market is bullish, shifting to equities can boost growth. This flexibility helps in optimising returns while managing risk.
⮚ Customise your plan
ULIPs offer various premium payment options—single lump sum, limited pay, or regular payments. If you’re starting late, a limited pay option might suit you, allowing higher payments over a shorter period. If you prefer spreading the cost, regular payments can ease the financial burden. This flexibility lets you adapt the plan to your financial capacity.
⮚ Tax benefits
ULIPs offer tax benefits that can enhance your savings. The premiums you pay are eligible for tax deductions under Section 80C, and the maturity benefits are tax-free under Section 10(10D), subject to certain conditions. These tax advantages make ULIPs an efficient tool for retirement planning.
⮚ Rider options
ULIPs provide additional cover in the form of riders such as critical illness, accidental death benefits or premium rider waiver. Such deals enhance your financial security with zero need for a separate insurance.
⮚ Manage your investments online
Digital platforms offered by insurers make it easy to track and manage your ULIP. You can view fund performance, make switches, and adjust your investment strategy from the comfort of your home. This accessibility ensures you can make informed decisions quickly, keeping your retirement planning on track.
⮚ Partial withdrawals
Many ULIPs allow for partial withdrawals after a certain period, providing financial flexibility during emergencies or for major expenses. While it’s essential to use this feature judiciously to not erode your retirement corpus, it’s a helpful option to have.
⮚ Auto rebalancing
Some ULIPs offer an automatic rebalancing feature, adjusting the equity-debt ratio as you get closer to retirement. This ensures that your investments are realigned with your risk tolerance over time, gradually reducing exposure to equities and increasing safer assets like debt, minimising risk as you near retirement.
⮚ Premium top-ups
If you have surplus funds, you can invest them in your ULIP through top-up premiums. These additional investments allow you to increase your fund value outside your regular premium payments, offering flexibility to boost your retirement savings when possible.
⮚ Periodical assessment
It is a must to periodically evaluate your investments to make sure you are on the right track as per your retirement goals. In the case of the requirement for any adjustments, then this can be done.
Final thoughts
When choosing a ULIP plan for retirement, begin early to gain an advantage from longer periods of investment and potentially better returns. Compare distinct plans to find out the one that best matches your financial needs and retirement goals. Stay on track with your assets, and consider increasing your investments in financial products to enhance your retirement savings.
So, ULIP is an excellent means of saving for your retirement times. It permits you to invest as well as manage your funds in a variety of ways, involving life insurance policy and might be altered as per your changing requirements. With proper preparation, you can accumulate a considerable retirement corpus and live a satisfying and comfortable retired life.
