Skip to main content

Know your real need before buying Insurance

Tax Saving Mutual Funds Online

Current open Infra Bond Application form

 
Usually people buy insurance without a real understating of why they do so. In my financial planning practice, when I ask people the reason for buying multiple life insurance policies before they approach me, some common answers received are, that it was recommended by a colleague, they learnt about it through a TV commercial as best tax-saving instrument or bought it under obligation from friend or relative. Study confirms that life insurance policies bought just for tax planning and without keeping any financial goal in mind are surrendered before its due maturity.

Basic objective of insurance is to manage financial risk. Different kind of risks can be personal risks like premature death, poor health and old age without having sufficient income or property and liability risk. There are various forms of insurance to manage these risks, and the objective of all is to protect people against unexpected loss. Most common type of insurance are life insurance, health insurance, critical insurance, personal accident and property insurance like motor or home insurance.

Premium towards your life insurance and health insurance policies qualify for deductions under Section 80C and 80 D of Income Tax Act, respectively, but that should never be the objective of buying insurance policy. If tax-saving is your objective, then there are much better schemes that provide you higher liquidity and returns. Insurance policies are not good investment options as they fail to create wealth due higher cost involved in them.

Objective of life insurance is to provide financial support to the family in case of untimely death of the life assured and therefore, life insurance should be bought on the life of the bread winner and not on the life of spouse or children. If spouse is also an earning member and is contributing to household expenses then he/she may buy life insurance policy on his or her life. Money received through life insurance claim can be used for repaying the debt, can be invested to manage household expenses of your family members and to achieve your other financial goals like children education and marriage. Pure term insurance policies best serve this purpose.

Term insurance plans do not offer you any maturity benefit, but these are the best plan as they offer high death benefit against the small premium you pay.


There are also other type of life insurance plans like endowment plan and unit-linked insurance plan (Ulip). Endowment and Ulips are basically combination of insurance and investment.

Insurance company invest the premium in different assets like stocks, bonds or government securities after deduction of insurance charges referred as mortality charges and other charges towards marketing and administrative expenses. In a Ulip, there is a transparency about these charges, but in an endowment plan, there is no transparency about these charges. But in any case a part of your premium is used for investment after adjusting these charges, and therefore, your returns from your policy will depend on these charges and performance of underlying asset in your policy.

Before buying a life insurance policy you must do the proper insurance need-analysis. To determine the sum assured under your life insurance policy, you can calculate the present value of your future expanses like household expenses, children school fee, cost of higher education, children's marriage, and various other financial goals you have in your mind. The inflation and future returns should be considered, assuming that insurance proceeds will be invested in some savings scheme.

You should also add your loan outstanding to analyse the need of life insurance cover.

Objective of health insurance is to cover health care expenses which include doctor's fee, room and ICU charges, medicines, pathology and other expensive diagnostic tests during hospitalisation. Though, it is difficult to ascertain that which problem may strike your health in future, yet sum insured under a health insurance policy can be determined by the factors like your lifestyle, occupation, cost of health care in the city you live and your affordability to the premium. You must check the features like sub-limits under your health insurance policy, network hospital of the insurer, terms of renewability and exclusions under your policy.

To conclude, I say that insurance policy must be bought with proper planning and keeping long-term objective.

Insurance is a complicated product and you need time to understand it. If you are in hurry of submiting your investment proof for claiming deduction in your income, I suggest not buying insurance policy. Take some time to analyse your insurance need and under the products well before you enter in a long term contract.

Adjusting these charges, and therefore, your returns from your policy will depend on these charges and performance of underlying asset in your policy.

Before buying a life insurance policy you must do the proper insurance need-analysis. To determine the sum assured under your life insurance policy, you can calculate the present value of your future expanses like household expenses, children school fee, cost of higher education, children's marriage, and various other financial goals you have in your mind. The inflation and future returns should be considered, assuming that insurance proceeds will be invested in some savings scheme.


You should also add your loan outstanding to analyse the need of life insurance cover.

Objective of health insurance is to cover health care expenses which include doctor's fee, room and ICU charges, medicines, pathology and other expensive diagnostic tests during hospitalisation. Though, it is difficult to ascertain that which problem may strike your health in future, yet sum insured under a health insurance policy can be determined by the factors like your lifestyle, occupation, cost of health care in the city you live and your affordability to the premium. You must check the features like sub-limits under your health insurance policy, network hospital of the insurer, terms of renewability and exclusions under your policy.

To conclude, I say that insurance policy must be bought with proper planning and keeping long-term objective.


Insurance is a complicated product and you need time to understand it. If you are in hurry of submiting your investment proof for claiming deduction in your income, I suggest not buying insurance policy. Take some time to analyse your insurance need and under the products well before you enter in a long term contract. 
 

---------------------------------------------

Invest in Tax Saving Mutual Funds ( ELSS Mutual Funds ) to upto Rs 1 lakh and Save tax under Section 80C.

 

Invest Tax Saving Mutual Funds Online

Tax Saving Mutual Funds Online

These links can be used to Purchase Mutual Funds Online that are regular also (Investment, non-tax saving)

 

Download Tax Saving Mutual Fund Application Forms from all AMCs

Download Tax Saving Mutual Fund Applications

 

These Application Forms can be used for buying regular mutual funds also

 

Some of the best Tax Saving Mutual Funds available ( ELSS Mutual Funds )

  1. HDFC TaxSaver
  2. ICICI Prudential Tax Plan
  3. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund
  4. Birla Sun Life Tax Relief '96
  5. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund
  6. IDFC Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund
  7. SBI Magnum Tax Gain Scheme 1993
  8. Sundaram Tax Saver

---------------------------------------------

Application form for Tax Saving Infrastructure Bond and more information

Current open Infra Bond Application form

 

Submit filled up application    Collection canter near you

 

 

 

------------------------------------------------
How to apply to REC Bonds?

Apply for REC Tax Free Bonds forms below

Download REC Tax Free Bond Application Forms

Submit the filled up form to Collection canter near you

Popular posts from this blog

Birla SunLife Manufacturing Equity Fund

The Make in India program was launched by Prime Minister Naredra Modi in September 2014 as part of a wider set of nation-building initiatives. It was devised to transform India into a global design and manufacturing hub. The primary motive of the campaign is to encourage multinational as well domestic companies to manufacture their products in India. This would create more job opportunities, bring high-quality standards and attract capital along with technological investment to bring more foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country.   Why India as the next manufacturing destination?   The rising demand in India along with the multinational's desire to diversify their production to include low-cost plants in countries other than China, can help India's manufacturing sector to grow and create millions of jobs. In the words of our Honourable Prime Minister- Mr. Narendra Modi, India offers the 3 'Ds' for business to thrive— democracy,...

Total Returns Index brings out real Equity Funds Performers

From February, equity mutual funds have to change their benchmarks to account for dividend payments. Until now, funds used price-based benchmarks alone. TRI or total return indices assume that dividend payouts are reinvested back into the index. What this does is lift the overall index returns, because dividends get compounded. For example, the Sensex TRI index will consider dividend payouts of its constituent companies while the Nifty50 TRI index will consider dividends of its constituents. Using TRI indices as benchmarks comes on the argument that an equity funds earn dividends on the stocks in its portfolio, which they use to buy more stocks. Therefore, using an index that also considers dividend reinvestment would be a more appropriate benchmark. Shrinking outperformance With a stiffer benchmark, it is obvious that the margin by which an equity fund outperforms the benchmark would shrink. Rolling one-year returns from 2013 onwards, the average margin by which largecap funds out...

Stock Review: Havells

HAVELLS India's stock performance has been muted in the past three months, in line with the weak broader market. But, given the turnaround in its overseas subsidiary and the launch of new products in its consumer durable business, the company's stock may undergo a re-rating.    Havells is India's leading consumer electrical goods company, with consolidated sales of . 5,527 crore in the past four quarters. Its wholly-owned subsidiary Sylvania, which makes lighting and fixtures, has established brands in European, Latin American and Asian markets. Sylvania repre sented nearly half of the company's consolidated revenues in the first half of FY11.    Sylvania's poor financials hit Havells' consolidated performance in FY10. But, this has changed in the cur rent fiscal. Havells has reduced fixed costs of Sylvania by exiting from unprofitable businesses and outsourcing manufacturing to low-cost locations such as India and China. In the September 2010 quarter, Sylv...

Kisan Vikas Patra - KVP

  Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) First launched in 1988, the Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) is one of the premier and popular saving scheme offering from the Indian Postal Department. This product has had a very chequered history- initially successful, deemed a product that could be misused and thus terminated in 2011, followed by a triumphant return to prominence and popular consumption in 2014. The salient features of KVP are as follows- The grand USP- Money invested by the applicant doubles in 100 months (8 years, 4 months). KVPs are available in the following denominations- Rs.1000, Rs.5000, Rs.10,000 and Rs.50,000. The minimum purchase value for the KVP is Rs.1000. There is no maximum limit. KVPs are available at all departmental post offices across India. These certificates can be prematurely encashed after 2 ½ years from the point of issue. KVPs can be transferred from one individual to another and from one post office to another. ----------------------------------------------------- Inve...

Health for Wealth - How to buy Health Insurance ?

Tax Saving Mutual Funds Online Current open Infra Bond Application form   HEALTH insurance is a relatively new phenomenon in India. Hence, it is not on the top of the mind for most people to make a conscious commitment towards health insurance. However, it is imperative for each one of us to plan for better health for our families and ourselves. There's no better way than to start with making health your top priority this year. So, your health insurance resolution charter would look something like: ■ Invest in health for wealth: Timely investment in health insurance can help build a security net and hedge sudden dilution of another financial asset class in the event of a health emergency, making it imperative to opt for a comprehensive health insurance plan. ■ Buy a comprehensive health cover that fu lfills your health needs for life: Buy a personal health insurance cover even if you have an employee cover because 'employer provided' health insuranc...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Invest in Tax Saving Mutual Funds Download Any Applications
Transact Mutual Funds Online Invest Online
Buy Gold Mutual Funds Invest Now