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ULIP IN INSURANCE SECTOR
INTRODUCTIONULIPs are hardly glamorous, but they have vitalized the life insurance sector.
These plans give the policyholder the best of worlds high returns and risk cover .
ULIPs essentially wed pure risk term cover plans with mutual fund type investment
vehicle to offer life cover with the possibility of market-linked returns on the
premiums. Since most ULIPs guarantee the capital (premiums paid), they offset the
risk on investments made in equities, retaining the spirit of insurance.
The ULIP premium is split between providing life cover, investing in equity,
and expenses. It means you the best of both worlds returns linked to the stock
market and risk cover. The ULIP can be an instrument that lets you ride the stock
market by proxy in the short-term and retain peace of mind with the life cover.
When you invest in ULIPs, yours premium payments are converted into units
and a net asset value (NAV) is declared. The plans are structured in such a way thatthey can be moulded to fit into financial plan. For instance, the liquidity that these
plan offers enables you to make partial withdrawals. But what about the risk, you may
ask. The tenure of these plans is any-where over 15 years in most cases, which
cushions the effect of any stock market corrections.
But not everyone sees ULIPs as great products. There are legitimate concerns
about whether investors are aware of the investment risks inherent in such plans. Atthe end of the day, ULIPs are like any other financial instrument invest in them
depending on your knowledge of the market and your risk appetite .If your
sufficiently knowledgeable, you ay prefer to make your own investment decisions,
instead of leaving it to ULIP. Or, if you feel that equities are too risky, you may prefer
to stay away from ULIPs and look elsewhere for returns. If, however, youre
comfortable with long lock-ins, have little time to monitor your investments, and are
comfortable with a little extra risk, ULIPs could fit comfortably into your portfolio.
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To describe it loosely, ULIP is a combination of an open-ended tax-saver and an
insurance plan.
ULIP is a unique; multiple benefits plan which combines the basic benefit of
life insurance with good returns, tax benefits and accident insurance cover. The plan
offers tax rebate on the amount invested under Section 88 of the Income Tax Act
1961 within the overall limit of Rs 70,000.
It also offers free accident insurance cover up to Rs 50,000. The investment
objective of the plan is primarily to provide returns through growth in NAV or
through income distribution and reinvestment thereof in further units at NAV.
FEATURES
Traditionally, insurance has been considered an attractive tax-saving
instrument, as well as a risk cover. The returns on investment in insurance products
were attractive mainly because of tax breaks. Now, thanks a diminishing interest rates
and a booming stock market, investors are looking to instruments like ULIPs for good
returns coupled with risk cover. In fact, share of other financial products, as well as
taking on traditional insurance products.
1. A multi-purpose tax saving plan with a choice of 10 years or 15 years
duration. Open to any resident/non-resident Indians between the ages of 12
and 55 years for 10 year plan, and 12 and 50 years for a 15 year plan.
Physically handicapped persons holding gainful employment can join the plan
subject to lapse of five years from the date of event.
2. Sale of units will be at NAV while repurchase at 1.5 per cent discount to NAV
which will be declared daily. The scheme is open for sale and repurchasethroughout the year except during book closure. Repurchase at maturity will
be at NAV prevailing on maturity date.
3. An investor can join for a minimum target amount of Rs 15,000 or up to the
maximum target amount of Rs 2,00,000 for 10-year plan and Rs 1,99,500 for
15 year plan, either through one or more applications. Chosen target amount is
required to be contributed in yearly or half-yearly installments over 10/15
years.
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4. The plan invests primarily to provide returns through growth in the NAV. Out
of the subscription every year, a small amount is paid to LIC towards premium
for life cover and the balance amount is converted into equivalent number of
units at the prevailing rate.
5. Plan provides life insurance cover up to the target amount. For female
applicants without independent income it is restricted to a maximum of Rs
40,000.
6. Free accident insurance cover of Rs 50,000 irrespective of the target amount.
7. There is a guaranteed maturity bonus of five per cent of the target amount for
a 10 year plan and 7.5 per cent for a 15 year plan. A member can continue
beyond the 10/15 year period in which case he is entitled to accident insurance
cover and a post maturity bonus of 0.5 per cent for every completed year
provided he has not withdrawn any amount earlier.
8. No medical examination is required at the time of joining the plan. Investment
can be made in ones spouses or childrens name.
9. Totally exempt from the levy of gift tax and wealth tax.
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W HERE U LIP
D IFFERS4
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ULIP vs. TRADITIONAL PLANS
In traditional insurance products, the premium goes almost entirely into risk
cover; savings is secondary. In ULIPs, on the other hand, the bulk of the premiumgoes towards investment, and a small portion is set aside for premium payments with
ULIPs, which offers a variable sum assured starting with a minimum five times
premium with a minimum three-year lock-in period.
Since ULIPs invest in market-linked financial instruments, returns are high.
Traditional insurance products invest in government securities, corporate bonds and
the money market, and stay away from the equity market. This conservative risk
management philosophy works well when interest rates are high, but with falling
rates, they cannot offer much. Naturally, the equity market-linked returns that ULIPs
offer are far higher. (A note of caution: insurance is not an instrument that provides
only good returns. The points of insurance is to secure your life ensure that your
financial dependants do not suffer heavy monetary losses in case of your demise.)
ULIP vs. MUTUAL FUNDS
If the insurance element is removed, you would think theres little to choose
between ULIPs & mutual fund schemes. But there are several intrinsic differences
between the two products even if the insurance element is not considered.
By their very nature, mutual funds are products where the managing fund
house fixes the investment amount. In the case of ULIPs, the premium contribution is
controlled at your end. Also, mutual fund expenses are prescribed by regulator SEBI
(securities & exchange board of India), unlike ULIPs. The treatment of tax on the
investment amount withdrawal is treated differently for products.
Then, of course, there is the life insurance component, which some mutual
fund are now offering on newly launched funds. However, these products work very
differently and it is here that ULIPs score over mutual funds.
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Prospective investors must, therefore, understand the structure of the ULIP,
the factors that determine how good returns will be and the risks involved, and then
figure out if they have the risk appetite, wheaher they can get better returns elsewhere
and whether their horizon matches the long lock-ins. And they can then decide which
plans offer the best rewards.
ULIPs TRADITIONAL
PLANS
MUTUAL FUNDS
Investment
amount
Depends on your
contribution; can
be varied over the
tenure of the
policy.
Is fixed, depending
on the sum assured
you decide upon
Minimum investment
amounts are determined
and fixed by the fund
houses
Sum assured Minimum five
times the premium
contribution
Minimum is decided
by insurer and
premium is based on
it
No life insurance,
though some funds have
started offering it as a
value-additionExpenses No upper limit;
expenses are
determined by the
insurance company
with IRDA
approval
High agent
commissions. Can be
as high as 35 percent
in the first year
Sebi prescribes the
upper limits. For
instance, equity funds
can charge a maximum
of 2.5 percent P.A.
There are also expenses
linked to entry and/or
exit loadsFlexibility Very high; you
have full control
Low and rigid; you
have no control
High flexibility, but
carries entry/exit costTransparency High Low HighLiquidity High Low High
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Tax benefits Section 80C
benefits are
available on entire
contribution
subject to Rs 1 lakh
ceiling. On
maturity, the
proceeds are tax-
free under section
10(10D)
Section 80C benefits
are available on
entire contribution
subject to Rs 1 lakh
ceiling. On maturity,
the proceeds are tax-
free under section
10(10D)
Section 80C benefits
available only to
investments in tax
saving funds. Tax
treatment of equity
linked and debt oriented
funds is different and
needs to be understood
with short-term and
long-term capital gains
tax as applicable.Portfolio
disclosure
Not mandatory, but
most insurers
disclose on
quarterly basis
No such facility Quarterly disclosures
are mandatory
Assets
allocation
Can switch across
funds with one
switch per year free
of cost
No such feature Relevant entry and exit
loads have to be borne
by the investor
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S ELECTING T HE
R IGHT U LIP
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STEPS TO SELECTING THE RIGHT ULIP
Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs) were always seen as a 'wonder product'
that simultaneously fulfilled an individual's needs for investment and insurance.
However, the recent downswings in the markets have forced investors to do a
rethink. Very often it was poor selection that was responsible for the investors' woes.
Here is a 5-step strategy for investing in ULIPs.
1. Understand the Concept of ULIPs
Try to do as much homework as possible before investing in an ULIP. Thisway you will know what you are getting into and won't be faced with unpleasant
surprises at a later stage.
Our experience suggests that many a time people do not realise what they are
getting into (in fact we have been approached by several people who wanted to cancel
the ULIPs they had been coerced into taking by unscrupulous agents). Gather
information on ULIPs, the various options available and understand their working.
Read the literature available on ULIPs on the Web sites and brochures
circulated by insurance companies.
2. Focus On Your Requirement And Risk Profile
Identify a plan that is best suited for you (in terms of allocation of money
between equity and debt instruments). Your risk appetite should play an important
role in the plan you choose.
So if you have a high-risk appetite, go in for a more aggressive investment
option and vice-a-versa. Opting for a plan that is lop-sided in favour of equities when
you are a risk-averse individual might spell disaster for you (this is true in most cases
currently).
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3. Compare ULIPs of different insurance companies
Compare products of the leading insurance companies. Enquire about the
premium payments as ULIPs work on minimum premium basis as opposed to sumassured in the case of conventional insurance policies.
Check the fund's performance over the past six months. Find out how the debt
and equity schemes are performing and how steady the performance has been.
Enquire about the charges you will have to pay. In ULIPs the costs involved are a big
deciding factor.
Ask about the top-up facility offered by ULIPs i.e. additional lump sum
investments you can make to increase the savings portion of your policy. The
companies give you the option to increase the premium amounts, thereby providing
you with the opportunity to gainfully utilise surplus funds at your disposal.
Enquire about the number of times you can make free switches (i.e. change the
asset allocation of the money in your ULIP account) from one investment plan to
another. Some insurance companies offer you free switches for a 2-year period while
others do so only for 1 year.
4. Go for an experienced insurance advisor
Select an advisor who is not only professional and informed, but also
independent and unbiased. Also enquire whether he has serviced clients like you.
When your agent recommends a ULIP of X company ask him a few product-
related questions to test him and also ask him why the other products should not be
considered.
Insurance advice at all times must be unbiased and independent and your agent
must be willing to inform you about the pros and cons of buying a particular plan.
His job should not just begin by filling the form and end after he deposits the
cheque and gives you the receipt. He should keep a track of your plan and inform you
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on a regular basis. The key is to go for an advisor who will offer you value-added
products.
5. Does your ULIP offer a minimum guarantee?
In market linked product if your investment's downside can be protected, it
would be a huge advantage. Find out if the ULIP you are considering offers a
minimum guarantee and what costs have to be borne for the same. This will enable
you to make an informed choice.
Today, more individuals are open to using the ULIP-way to create wealth over
the long term. Here we outline exactly how ULIPs can help you fulfill that
responsibility.
If you are between 25 and 35 years of age
You are young, probably married and even have kids. If you are the sole
breadwinner in the family, then you have quite a few responsibilities to fulfill right
from planning for your child's education/marriage to planning for your own retirement
to providing for the family in your absence.
The last responsibility is the most critical and ironically it is the easiest and
cheapest one of the lot to fulfill. At Personalfn, we have always been votaries of term
insurance -- the cheapest way to get a life cover for yourself.
Term insurance is also insurance in its 'purest' form, in other words there is no
savings element in it, which ensures your premiums are very low. There is no better
product to provide for your family in case of an eventuality and all individuals mustconsider taking a term plan.
Term insurance of course takes a huge burden off your chest as also your
wallet. But it still leaves you with a problem. If term insurance is only going to take
care of the 'risk' element, who is going to take care of the 'savings' part.
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This is where ULIPs come in. Of course, that is not to say that ULIPs do not
have an insurance element, they do, but it is limited largely to the earlier years and
after a point they don the mantle of an investment product.
So how can ULIPs help you save for child's education/marriage, planning for
retirement and other investment-related objectives? ULIPs can do all this and more
because they come with a lot of variety.
Consider this; except for term insurance (because it does not make sense), just
about every life insurance product has a ULIP option. So you have endowment ULIP,
child plans ULIPs and pension ULIPs. As a matter of fact, there are some life
insurance companies that only have ULIP products; they don't have traditionalendowment, pension and child plans at all!
What that tells you is that if you are willing to take on some risk, a ULIP can
help you meet a lot of your financial objectives.
If you are looking to set aside some money for your child's education, the 5%-
6% return on an endowment plan may not even take care of inflation, let alone
provide for a medical or MBA degree. The return you earn on a child plan should not just counter inflation; it should be enough to cover the cost of education.
And the way cost of education is spiralling, your insurance plan must work
very hard. Given their equity component, ULIPs are ideally placed to fulfill this role.
As we mentioned before, ULIPs are flexible; there are various options within a
ULIP with the equity component varying right from 0% to 100%. This ensures that
you are able to select an option that best suits your risk profile. Let us understand how
ULIPs can be tailor-made to serve your financial planning needs.
You are in the 25-35 years age bracket. Your most pressing financial
objectives are providing for your child's future and your own retirement. ULIPs can
help you achieve both. Although you can take a single endowment ULIP to achieve
both objectives, we think it is more prudent to make a demarcation between the needs
and take separate ULIPs dedicated to each objective. Opt for a ULIP child plan to
provide for your child's higher education, marriage and seed capital for business to
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name a few needs. One way to handle this multi-faceted objective is to take a ULIP
money-back plan. This way you get monies at regular intervals to address multiple
needs.
The other important plan that individuals must consider taking earlier on their
lives is a pension plan. Building a corpus to face the rigours of retirement should be
given the priority it deserves.
Again, a long-term investment objective like retirement planning could do
with equity 'push'. Here is where a ULIP pension plan can add value to your
retirement portfolio. Likewise a ULIP endowment plan can help you meet investment
objectives like buying property or setting up a business for instance.
If you are between 35 and 45 years of age
By the time you reach the 35-45 age brackets, some of your existing ULIPs
are probably nearing maturity. For instance, if you had taken a ULIP child plan earlier
on, it is likely to mature in this age bracket to coincide with the need (higher
education/marriage) you had in mind at the time of taking the ULIP.
However, if you married late or did not begin planning your finances at anearly stage in your life, now is the time. If you haven't insured yourself as yet, go for a
term insurance plan.
The advantage of taking a term plan at a slightly advanced age is that you have
a better idea of how your lifestyle is likely to pan out going forward. In terms of costs,
term plans remain your cheapest option no matter when you take one.
You can opt for some of the ULIPs we mentioned for individuals in the 25-35
years age bracket depending on your needs. Remember, unlike endowment, which
gets really expensive at an advanced age, ULIPs because of the way they are
structured, do not turn out that expensive.
If you are over 45 years of age
In this age bracket, it is likely that you are insured. However, you still need to
review your insurance cover taking into consideration the changes in your lifestyle,
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income, needs and financial commitments. Beef up your insurance cover through a
term plan.
By this time, your ULIP pension plan will have matured. You can then opt for
an annuity, immediate or deferred, depending on your requirements.
FLEXIBILITY
Traditional insurance products give you little room for maneuvering; its a
one-size-fits-all approach. On other hand, ULIPs allow you to park funds into
different fund options depending on your risk appetite. And if your approach to risk
changes, you have freedom to switch to another fund option that comes with more or
less risk. A good strategy would be at opt for an equity heavy investment fund in your
early years, reducing the equity exposure as you age and shifting to a debt heavy fund
towards retirement.
Another advantage of investing in ULIPs is that they allow you to make
periodic top-ups to your regular premium contribution rather than retain the surplus in
low interest bank accounts. Though there is a cost associated with the top-up, this can
work well if you have high disposable money to invest in these plans. It also lets you
time the market (provided you are well-versed in stock market trends). Even better,
you can skip paying premium occasionally if youre stuck for cash, & plan will adjust
the premium amount from the NAVs to ensure your policy does not lapse & your risk
cover remains intact.
And, of course, theres liquidity. Since ULIPs are NAV based, once the three-
year lock-in period is over, the units can be sold any day. Unlike the money-back typeof endowment plans, where the inflows & outflows year are fixed, ULIPs allow you
to decide when to withdraw the investments made. For instance, in a 20year policy,
you can opt to receive set sums in year 10 & year 17, & allow the rest to accrue in the
fund.
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CLARIFICATION OF ULIPS
6 Points To Note
Since ULIPs offer a lot of flexibility, you need to keep some points in mind to
optimize the benefits associated with them.
ULIP child plans/pension plans and even term insurance for most individuals.
When you opt for these plans it is important you do this after taking your insurance
consultant into confidence. He is the one who is going to help you with the numbers,
so you need to tell him exactly what you are looking for in an insurance plan.
Remember there is an insurance cover associated with ULIPs. Since it is also
likely that you have other insurance plans like term and/or endowment, it is important
you have a clear idea of exactly how much your insurance cover is worth after
considering all your insurance plans. This number will prove helpful when you review
your insurance cover at regular intervals.
Likewise, ULIPs also have an investment element. You are likely to have
investments in mutual funds, stocks, bonds and fixed deposits as well. You need to
add up the market value of all these investments while calculating your investment
worth. This number will prove useful when you wish to beef up your investments in a
particular asset.
ULIPs derive their 'power to perform' from equities. When you have a lot of
aggressive ULIPs in your portfolio it means that you are overweight on equities. Addto this your investments in stocks and equity funds, and your exposure to equities
increases even further. To temper your equity exposure, it is generally advisable to
opt for conservative/balanced ULIPs (maximum 50% equity exposure).
Even if you are a high-risk investor, you must gradually shift your assets to a
conservative ULIP option as your age advances. Financial prudence dictates that risk
reduces as age increases; this needs to reflect in all your investments including ULIPs.
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Like with all investments, it is prudent to diversify your ULIP investments.
This is necessary due to several reasons with financial prudence being the most
important reason. Varying flexibility levels in ULIPs across insurance companies is
another factor that should make you opt for a ULIP from more than one insurance
company. Varying level of expenses in ULIPs is another reason to opt for ULIPs
across insurance companies to keep expenses on the lower side.
What should you do now?
Ensure that the equity component is in line with your risk appetite. If it is not,
make amends now. Do not wait for the markets to correct upwards.
Do not get carried away by fancy projections made by unscrupulous salesagents. Focus on your requirement and risk profile. At any rate give the
aggressive 100% equity plans a miss.
Understand the cost of taking a ULIP. Sometimes a pure life insurance and mutual
fund combination may turn out to be more cost effective.
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A RE U LIPS
S AFE?
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ARE ULIPS SAFE?
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority raised concerns over
the way unit linked insurance plans (ULIPs) were being sold.
It was also worried about the disclosure norms (or the lack of it), which were
being followed by life insurance companies.
ULIPs are market-linked insurance plans with a life cover thrown in. But the
said cover is lower than most plain-vanilla plans (like endowment plans) as a sizable
portion of the premium goes towards investments in market-linked instruments like
stocks, corporate bonds and government securities.
The argument that IRDA has put forth is that the primary purpose of insurance
is to provide life cover; returns should play second fiddle to the cover. This makes
sense, but the insurance companies don't seem to think so.
Trends in the life insurance industry have witnessed a sea change in the last
few years. ULIPs have managed to outsell plain vanilla plans by quite a margin.
For some private insurance companies, they account for up to 70% of new
business generated. There's nothing wrong with ULIPs per se, but the question that
has been a cause for worry is -- do investors know the flipside to investing in ULIPs?
It doesn't seem so.
The primary focus of life insurance agents for selling ULIPs has always been
the alluring market returns compared to say, a plain endowment plan. In a rising
market, the returns do look good. But what these agents fail to convey many a times,
is the downside, were the markets to fall.
The agent sometimes handles this fact by telling the individual that he can
'exit' (by surrendering) from a ULIP any time after a minimum of three years and also
benefit from a 'possible' appreciation in stock prices over this period. While this may
be true, what individuals do not realize is, it is a costly affair to exit a ULIP after just
three years due to the high costs charged by ULIPs upfront. ULIPs, due to their verynature, should always be considered with a long-term view.
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The life insurance industry should also be proactive in educating individuals
about life insurance. This is especially so in case of ULIPs where individuals
definitely need to be informed about the risk-return proposition that ULIPs offer.
Although one might argue that the insurance agent is supposed to play that
role, the current state of affairs suggest otherwise. An issue worth contemplating is
the so-called 'financial consultants' who sell, not a basket of financial products but
only life insurance.
How can one be qualified to be a 'financial consultant' without having the right
credentials and with just one product at his disposal? No doubt there is a certification
course that needs to be cleared.
But simply clearing the IRDA exam doesn't make anyone a financial
consultant. Financial planning requires a lot more grey cells and experience.
We, at Personal finance, have come across clients who after buying a ULIP
wound needed it in the first place given that they already have many other market-
linked investments like stocks and mutual funds.
The feeling they take home is that they did not really 'require' a ULIP but were
'sold' one. What they really needed was a simple term insurance policy.
The IRDA was also concerned about the fact that were the markets to fall at
the time of maturity of a ULIP, a sizable amount of the corpus of the individual could
get wiped out.
To address this issue, it plans to come out with certain guidelines, which mightallow investors in ULIPs to stay invested beyond the stipulated maturity date so as to
recoup losses.
All we are saying is that individuals should be wary of the risks associated
with a market-linked product like ULIPs before investing in them. The investment
should be in line with their risk profiles and long-term financial planning objectives.
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ULIPs: Be(A)ware Of The Risk
Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs) all of sudden became a popular
investment vehicle with investors in the past one year. The reason: perhaps the bull
phase or the lure of market-linked returns those insurance companies have been
advertising. But with the markets now having corrected significantly, many investors
are wondering whether they should have opted for a ULIP in the first place.
A single cornerstone advantage ULIPs offer is that they leave the asset
allocation decision in the hands of investors themselves. You are in control of how
you want to distribute your money across the broad asset classes and how and when
you want to reallocate. You can withdraw from these plans (after the initial lock in period) without any tax implication as withdrawals and death claim proceeds under
ULIPs qualify for (capital gains) tax exemption under Section 10 (10D) of the Income
Tax Act.
But such flexibility can be a big disadvantage if you are not an expert. You
could choose to be more in equities (like you probably did late last year or early this
year), when the time is probably right to go into low risk debt. Or vice versa. The
impact of such incorrect decisions could be significant.
ULIPs: Linking Insurance To Markets
Most insurers in the year 2004 have started offering at least a few unit-linked
plans. Unit-linked life insurance products are those where the benefits are expressed
in terms of number of units and unit price. They can be viewed as a combination of
insurance and mutual funds. The number of units, which the customer would get,
would depend on the unit price when he pays his premium. The daily unit price is
based on the market value of the underlying assets (equities, bonds, government
securities etc.) and computed from the net asset value.
The advantage of Unit linked plans are that they are simple, clear, and easy to
understand. Being transparent the policyholder gets the entire upside on the
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performance of his fund. Besides all the advantages they offer to the customers, unit-
linked plans also lead to an efficient utilisation of capital.
Unit-linked products are exempted from tax and they provide life insurance.
Investors welcome these products as they provide capital appreciation even as the
yields on government securities have fallen below 6 per cent, which has made the
insurers slash payouts.
According to the IRDA, a company offering unit linked plans must give the
investor an option to choose among debt, balanced and equity funds. If you opt for a
unit-linked endowment policy, you can choose to invest your premiums in debt,
balanced or equity plans. If you choose a debt plan, the majority of your premiumswill get invested in debt securities like gilts and bonds. If you choose equity, then a
major portion of your premiums will be invested in the equity market. The plan you
choose would depend on your risk profile and your investment need.
The ideal time to buy a unit-linked plan is when one can expect long-term
growth ahead. This is especially so if one also believes that current market values
(stock valuations) are relatively low. So if you are opting for a plan that invests
primarily in equity, the buzzing market could lead to windfall returns. However,
should the buzz die down, investors could be left stung.
If one invests in a unit-linked pension plan early on, say 25, one can afford to
take the risk associated with equities, at least in the plan's initial stages. However, as
one approaches retirement the quantum of returns should be subordinated to capital
preservation. At this stage, investing in a plan that has an equity tilt may not be a good
idea.
Considering that unit-linked plans are relatively new launches, their short
history does not permit an assessment of how they will perform in different phases of
the stock market. Even if one views insurance as a long-term commitment,
investments based on performance over such a short time span may not be
appropriate.
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TRANSPARENCY
Compared to traditional insurance plans, ULIPs score high when it comes to
informing customers about costs & fund investments.
In traditional plans, charges are invariably not disclosed. But ULIPs disclose
upfront the expenses that go into them. The mortality expense that goes towards
insuring your life is disclosed as you sign the policy, incanting the insurance cost.
You are also informed how much goes as expenses (commission & administrative
charges) & how much of the premium amount is invested.
The ULIP also informs you about the charges involved in switching between
fund options; you get one free switch a year & have to pay for any more. And though
it is not a mandatory requirement, ULIPs make it a point to keep policyholders aware
of the fund portfolio, & sends out statements every quarter. This keeps you informed
about the fund strategy & you can use this information when switching between
funds.
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Add More Zip To Your ULIP!
The past couple of years have seen ULIPs (unit linked insurance plans)
emerge as overwhelming favourites with individuals wanting to buy life cover
complemented by a flavour of equities. The Indian bourses too have played a part in
fuelling the demand for ULIPs. However, there is one important aspect, which we feel
individuals should consider before they commit their money to ULIPs from any life
insurance company.
Simply put, ULIPs are life insurance plans, which can invest a portion of their
corpus in equities. The percentage of investments in equities though differs acrossinsurance companies. While some companies have a mandate to invest upto 100% of
their corpus in the aggressive option, other insurance companies have a cap (like
35% of corpus for instance) on the aggressive option. Given the edge equities can
provide to your portfolio, the percentage of equities in a ULIP can make a significant
impact on the returns over the long term. An illustration will help in understanding
this better.
Let us take an example of an individual wanting to invest a sum of Rs 100 (as
premium) each year in ULIPs. His investment tenure is 30 years. He has two options
to consider- one which offers him a maximum of 35% exposure to equities and the
remaining 65% in debt instruments. The other option offers him 100% exposure to
equities. Let us also assume that he is expecting a 10% growth year-on-year CAGR
(compounded annual growth rate) from the equity component and a 7% growth
CAGR from the debt component.
The individual is assumed to have a high-risk appetite and hence, he decides to
invest his entire corpus in the aggressive option throughout the tenure.
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The Power Of Equities
ULIP from Company
A
ULIP from Company
B
Amount invested(Rs) 100 100
Equity exposure (%) 35 100
Amt receivable on maturity from
equity (Rs)
6,333 18,094
Debt exposure per annum (%) 65 0
Amt receivable on maturity from debt
(Rs)
6,570 0
Total amt. receivable on maturity (Rs) 12,903 18,094
CAGR on equities is assumed to be 10% and on debt to be 7%.
Tenure is 30 years.
As can be seen from the table, if a sum of Rs 35 is invested each year (out of
the Rs 100 paid as premium) in equities for a period of 30 years and the rate of returns
is assumed to be 10% CAGR, then the individual stands to gain Rs 6,333 on maturity.
Also assuming that the remaining Rs 65 is invested in debt instruments for the same
period and this yields 7% CAGR, the maturity amount works out to Rs 6,570. The
total amount that the individual stands to receive on maturity is Rs 12,903.
As opposed to this, if the individual were to invest the entire amount of Rs 100
in equities, other variables remaining the same, the returns amount to Rs 18,094.
Which is approximately 40% higher than the returns that the individual would havereceived had his investments been limited to a 35% equity exposure!
So what does this mean for an individual who wants to invest in ULIPs? To
begin with, several studies have shown that equities tend to outperform other asset
classes like bonds and government securities over the long term. It therefore makes
sense for the risk-taking individual to invest a sizable portion of his corpus in equities.
Therefore it also follows that a maximum 35% equity exposure will not be able to
power the individuals portfolio returns like a 100% equity exposure would, other
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parameters (tenure, expected returns, premium amount) remaining the same. Add to
this the fact that the 100% equity ULIP option also allows the individual to shift his
money to debt in varying proportions (which range from 0%-100%), and one has a
potent combination.
Of course, the return figures will change with a change in the assumptions
considered above. For example, had we assumed a 15% return on equity without
changing the other parameters, then the difference in returns between the 35% equity
option and 100% equity option would be 107%! Conversely, if we compare a 35:65
(equity: debt) portfolio versus a 70:30 (equity: debt) portfolio without changing the
other parameters, then the difference in returns would have been approximately 22%.
Of course, it goes without saying that many factors other than the equity
exposure affect ULIP returns. For example, expenses and the quality of fund
management are two very important factors that need to be evaluated before taking
the plunge into ULIPs. Individuals therefore need to bear in mind that a ULIP needs
to be evaluated on various parameters before zeroing in on a particular life insurance
company.
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ASSEST ALLOCATION
Funds collected under the plan after paying the insurance premium shall
generally be invested in -- not less than 60 per cent in debt instruments with low to
medium risk profile and not more than 40 per cent in equities and equity related
instruments. For e.g.
ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY PVT. LTD.SCHEME: UTI Unit Linked Insurance Plan
PROVISIONAL AND UNAUDITED PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE AS OF 31/03/2006 (Market value in Lacs)NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT QUANTITY MARKET-VALUE %TO NAV INDUSTRY-NAME - DEBEquity and Equity related(a) Listed/awaiting listing on Stock
ExchangesEQ INFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES LTD. 641000 19110.77 4.69 SOFTWAREEQ UTI BANK LTD. 4958342 17654.18 4.33 BanksEQ BHARTI TELE-VENTURES LTD. 3286265 13564.06 3.33 TELECOM-SERVICES
EQ ITC LTD. 5890445 11495.2 2.82 CONSUMER NON DURABLESEQ TATA TEA LTD. 1106095 9588.74 2.35 CONSUMER NON DURABLESEQ RELIANCE ENERGY LTD. 1287769 7877.28 1.93 POWEREQ HINDUSTAN PETROLEUM
CORPORATION LTD. 2430356 7773.49 1.91 PETROLEUM PRODUCTSEQ JET AIRWAYS INDIA LTD 788652 7749.69 1.9 TRANSPORTATIONEQ BHARAT PETROLEUM
CORPORATION LTD. 1765662 7509.36 1.84 PETROLEUM PRODUCTSEQ PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK 1578715 7426.28 1.82 BanksEQ PFIZER LIMITED 596592 6882.58 1.69 PharmaceuticalsEQ UNION BANK OF INDIA 4926910 5991.12 1.47 BanksEQ SKF INDIA LTD. 1792983 5551.08 1.36 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTSEQ CRISIL LTD 200000 3475.2 0.85 FINANCEEQ EXIDE INDUSTRIES LTD. 626203 1652.86 0.41 AUTO ANCILLARIESEQ STATE BANK OF BIKANER &
JAIPUR 26330 1096.47 0.27 BanksEQ McNALLY BHARAT ENGINEERING
CO.LTD. 505352 705.98 0.17 INDUSTRIAL CAPITAL GOODSEQ TATA COFFEE LTD 122800 448.16 0.11 CONSUMER NON DURABLESEQ MCS LTD. 151956 50.53 0.01 SHARE TRANSFER REGISTRAREQ THE DHAR TEXTILES MILLS LTD 340991 12.99 * TEXTILE PRODUCTSEQ BHARAT SEATS LTD. 600 0.65 * AUTO ANCILLARIESEQ ORIQUA LIMITED 200000 0 * IISL-UNCLASSIFIEDEQ OMEGA LABORATORIES LTD. 100000 0 * IISL-UNCLASSIFIEDEQ MODERN DENIM LTD. 425000 0 * IISL-UNCLASSIFIEDEQ APTE AMALGAMATIONS LTD. 3590 0 * IISL-UNCLASSIFIEDEQ MAHENDRA PETROCHEMICALS
LTD. 400000 0 * IISL-UNCLASSIFIEDEQ DHAR CEMENT LTD. 100000 0 * IISL-UNCLASSIFIEDEQ HITKARI FIBRES LTD. 300000 0 * IISL-UNCLASSIFIED
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I NSURANCE:
G OOD T IMES T O
C ONTINUE
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INSURANCE: GOOD TIMES TO CONTINUE
The life insurance industry has been a dynamic one since the entry of the
private players into the insurance market. Customer focus and product innovationhave taken centre stage, which, one has to say, has been a departure of sorts from the
days gone by. Last year was no different for this sector; it saw a lot of activity in the
year.
Budget changes
The most significant event of the year for the insurance sector was the increase
in tax benefits on life insurance plans.
Earlier, the benefits on premium payments stood at Rs 70,000 for the year;
these were brought within the consolidated Section 80C banner to Rs 100,000. This
limit includes Section 80CCC pension plan tax benefits upto a maximum of Rs
10,000.
ULIPs form a major portion of new business
Unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs) continued to rule the roost; taking off
from where they had left last year. For many life insurance companies, ULIPs
accounted for more than half of new business.
Mis-selling still continues
ULIPs have been aggressively marketed by life insurance companies. ULIPs
as a product, has been a valuable addition for the insurance seeker. But manyinsurance agents have 'sold' ULIPs without really understanding the individual's
needs, his risk profile or the fundamentals of asset allocation.
At Personalfn, we believe that equities are equipped to do better in the long
run compared to their fixed return counterparts like bonds and G-secs. But at the same
time, we also believe that individuals should make investments in ULIPs in tune with
their risk profile and asset allocation.
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Recently, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority has come out
with certain guidelines for ULIPs. It has proposed a compulsory 3-year lock-in period
for ULIPs.
In other words, individuals will not be allowed to withdraw any money from
their ULIP 'account' for the first 3 years. The primary intention behind this is to
preserve the identity of life insurance (and therefore ULIPs) as a long-term savings
option.
The IRDA has also specified that the minimum tenure for ULIP policies be 5
years and that a ULIP have a 'sum assured' and not be totally linked to the markets. In
addition, the IRDA has also proposed that life insurance agents be given separatetraining for selling ULIPs as ULIPs demanded better understanding than that
currently prevalent in the industry.
The guidelines will be effective from June 2006. These guidelines by way of
'restructuring' the product, will help in protecting the interests of individuals and also
go a long way in curbing the malpractices currently prevalent in the life insurance
industry.
Term plans still not being 'sold'
Term plans are the purest form of life insurance available. Despite a term plan
being a must in every individual's portfolio, they continue to remain poor cousins to
savings based plans (life insurance with a maturity benefit).
Blame the many unscrupulous agents for this. Individuals need to ensure that
their financial portfolio consists of a term plan, which will help the overall long-term
financial planning cause.
Endowment plans still being 'bought'
Individuals continue to be 'enticed' by endowment plans for the maturity
benefits and the 'safety' that they provide. While such plans do have an insurance
element, the returns that they offer hardly manage to beat inflation, leave alone help
individuals plan their finances effectively.
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We do believe that from a long-term perspective, individuals need to look at
other more efficient means of savings like tax saving mutual funds or ULIPs.
However, as always, the same should be in line with their asset allocation and risk
appetite.
Pension funds on the anvil?
The interest rate offered on EPF has been brought down from 9.50% to 8.50%.
The EPF being long-term savings, the rate cut has made the need for the setting up of
pension funds even more acute.
While the process of putting up the pension fund regulatory and development
authority (PFRDA) has been initialized, the pace needs to pick up so that individualscan park their pension monies with a body, which will make their money work harder
for them as compared to the earlier scenario.
Strategies for 2006
A term plan is life insurance in its purest form. Individuals should buy a term
plan before considering other types of life insurance. This becomes necessary in light
of the fact that such plans offer the much-needed insurance cover at a low cost.
Come June 2006 and ULIPs will emerge in a more transparent and
unambiguous form due to the changes proposed by the IRDA. Having said that,
insurance seekers on their part need to gain a better understanding of ULIPs and find
out how well it fits into their financial planning exercise.
We could also see more options being introduced in the pension funds
segment. This can give a boost to retirement planning and help individuals plan
effectively for their retirement.
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MAKING ULIPS WORK FOR YOU
Simply putting your money in ULIPs will fetch you decent enough returns and
will, of course, provide life cover. But is that enough? You can get far better investment tool, and it can add much ore value to your portfolio if you take a few
proactive steps. Heres a five-step guide to help you make most of your ULIP.
Financial planning: -
Theres no doubt that ULIPs can help you meet many of your financial
objectives. This is why almost all insurance plans childrens plans, endowment,
money-back and retirement are offered on the ULIP platform, the flexibility of
partial withdrawals, premium holiday and switching between fund options all go
towards helping you achieve your financial goals. Unlike preset money-back dates
that conventional plans offer, ULIPs are structured to let you withdraw when you
need the funds most.
Switching option:-
Most insurers offer one free annual switch across funds. If you time this right,
you can gain a whole lot more than if you switch blindly. A savvy investor will opt
for a higher equity exposure when the markets are performing well and shift to
balance or debt fund when there is a dip in the stock market.
Fund strategy:-
It a well know fact that equities as an asset class outperform all other
investment instruments so in the, early years of your ULIP term preferably stick to
equity-heavy fund options and make the best earnings on it. As your risk appetite
changes with age and you want to move to a lower risk option, you can migrate your
money to safer havens after having made a killing.
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Top-ups:-
Its one of the biggest advantages of ULIPs-the option to top-up your premium
just make sure the top-up falls within sections 80C guidelines in contribution and
section 10(10D) on maturity also, time your top-up; if you top-up from the second
year onwards, the expense ratio is much smaller what this strategy lets you do is to
lower your expense outgo on the early year(when they relatively very high) and lets
you divert more of your over all premium pay outs to the investment component over
the subsequent years.
Tenures:-
The heavy front loading of expenses act acts as a disincentive for early
withdrawals on the fund accumulation. For instance, over three- or five year tenure,
unit linked plan compare poorly with equity funds on pre-tax returns. The maturity
benefits that get you the tax benefits under section 10(10D) work will on polices with
the long tenure. Also, unlike mutual funds, unit-linked plans dont face redemption
pressure; a fund manager for a unit-linked product can, therefore, perform better in
the long run.
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ULIPS: SIMPLIFICATION THE NEED OF THE HOUR?
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ULIPs: Simplification the need of the hour?
A leading Mumbai business daily recently reported that the IRDA (Insurance
Regulatory and Development Authority) plans to standardise life insurance policies.Amongst the various issues that the regulatory authority would like to
tackle/standardise is the product literature and the proposal forms. Given the number
of life insurance companies in the fray and the plethora of insurance plans on offer,
this has come as a welcome move for individuals.
The IRDAs primary aim behind this move is to make life simpler for
individuals interested in buying life insurance. As things stand today, the product
literature for life insurance products differs across companies. This makes it difficult
for individuals to compare insurance plans offered by various companies. It also
queers the pitch for individuals wanting to analyse insurance plans given the fact that
all the insurance companies proclaim their product to be the best offering maximum
value and maximum returns in their category. Often this claim is made on the basis
of partial information. Standardising the product literature for insurance products will
go a long way in helping individuals arrive at an informed decision by being able to
compare products across a standard set of parameters.
That apart, the IRDA has also made it clear that though it cannot stop
insurance agents from mis-selling life insurance, should there be a complaint, it will
hold the insurance company responsible for mis-selling done by its agents. This will
certainly be in the interests of individuals in case of any mis-selling related issues. In
addition, this will also prove to be a deterrent for the insurance company, which will
take extra precaution in educating its agents and the end-users of the product.
However, although the IRDA is doing its bit to simplify insurance products for
individuals, we also feel that it can take up a few other issues as well which are crying
for attention. The first issue concerns ULIPs (unit linked insurance plans) portfolios.
Some life insurance companies do not declare their ULIP portfolios at all i.e. the
portfolios are not available for free viewing. ULIPs primarily function like an
investment with a life cover thrown in. It therefore becomes important that individuals
know where their monies are being invested. For instance, most mutual funds declare
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their portfolio at least once a month. The same is also made available on the company
websites. Though some insurance companies diligently declare their ULIP holdings
on their websites (e.g. ICICI Prudential, HDFC Standard Life, Kotak Mahindra Old
Mutual), many refrain from doing so. The IRDA should look into this matter and
frame suitable guidelines for ULIP portfolio disclosure norms.
Another relevant issue in our view is the simplification/standardisation of
ULIP expenses. As an example, a certain life insurance company incurs 27% as
expenses in each of its first two years of operation, while it falls to 1% after that.
Monthly administration expenses of Rs 15 are incurred in addition to the annual
expenses. Compare this with another life insurance company whose charges are 19%
in the first year, 4% from years 2 to 5, 2% from years 6 to 10 and 1% thereafter.
Monthly administration expenses of Rs 60 are levied in addition to the
abovementioned charges. And the differences continue as we compare expenses
across insurance companies.
What the individual would really be interested in knowing is what are my
ULIP expenses per annum on an average in a particular ULIP policy? While the
expenses may differ across companies, what we are more concerned about is whether
individuals will be able to compare charges across companies. In their current avatar,
it really would need an expert to demystify ULIP expenses from across companies.
The IRDA should look into this matter and simplify things from where they stand
today
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IRDA G UIDELINES
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ULIP, which constitute nearly 90 per cent of new life insurance policies sold
by private insurers, are by nature investment vehicles that come with a small
insurance cover.
A large part of a ULIP `premium' is divided into units and invested in equities
and debt instruments, the mix varying according to each policy-holders' risk appetite.
The units are akin to mutual fund units and the investor can redeem them at maturity
at net asset value. However, since the maturity date is predetermined, ULIP act more
like a closed-ended fund.
Since most of the premium is channeled to investments, the risk to the insurer
is substantially low compared to pure term assurance. Their capital requirement alsocomes down because they need not put up large solvency reserves.
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TAX
BREAKS
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TAX BREAKS
This is one area where traditional plans & ULIPs are on a par with each other.
You get section 80c benefit, subject to maximum limit of Rs 1lakh; regardless of
weather you buy a traditional insurance product or a ULIP. In both cases, the proceeds
on maturity are tax-free under section 10(1od).
Given the way the stock market is booming, its little wonder that policyholders
are flocking to ULIPs. However, remember that the Bull Run may not be sustainable
in the long run. Care must be taken to weigh your risk appetite, investment objectives
& personal financial plan before leaping in to ULIPs.
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CASE STUDIES
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IS UNIT-LINKED LIFE INSURANCE FOR YOU?
Unit-linked life insurance offers the interesting option of combining protection
and tax advantages of life insurance with the attractive prospects of investing in
equities.
A unit-linked plan works on a minimum premium basis and not on a sum
assured one. You decide the amount you can contribute at regular intervals. ULIP
offers you insurance cover till your insurance needs are fulfilled, beyond that it
becomes an investment avenue.
How they compare?
To explain how ULIP works we will compare HDFC ULIP Endowment plan
with HDFC Endowment plan.
Premium
In case of: ULIP, you pay a minimum premium of Rs 10,000 per annum
irrespective of age and term of the policy. Premiums levels can be either reduced or
increased if premiums have been paid regularly for three years and the unit fund value
is at least Rs 15,000. The flexibility of increasing premium contributions in an
existing account helps policyholders manage their cash flows.
In normal/traditional endowment plans the premium is calculated on the basis
of age and the term and the amount you pay, as premium remains the same for the full
term. The minimum premium is Rs 1,500 annually.
Sum assured
The sum assured depends on your age and the cover you take in case of ULIP.
Depending on your age at entry, you may choose between 3 levels of cover - low,
medium or high.
In the traditional plan, the sum assured is calculated by age and term of the
policy to which premium factor is applied.
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Top-ups
Apart from your regular contributions, in case of ULIP, you can also make
additional payments to increase the savings component. These top-ups do not affect
the sum assured. Normal endowment policy does not offer you these benefits.
Investment
You choose the fund where you want to invest your money. HDFC offers a
choice of five funds - liquid, defensive, secure managed, secure defensive and growth.
The Liquid Fund is the least risky with investments in bank deposits and short-term
money market instruments. Growth Fund is the riskiest with an investment of up to
100% in equities. In traditional insurance plans your money is invested keeping in
view the IRDA specification i.e. minimum 85% in debt with the balance in equities.
Charges?
As is the case with unit-linked plans, this plan, too, imposes charges, on both
the funds invested by the policyholder and by cancellation of units. These charges
vary depending on the kind of premium payment option chosen (single or regular).
Other charges include a fund management charge of 0.80% of the fund value
per annum, apart from a flat fee of Rs 15 per month deducted by cancellation of units
In case of ULIP, for the first 2 years the investment content rate is 73% of the
premium and for the remaining years 99%. Risk cover charges (for death sum
assured, critical illness, and accidental death) are charged for cancelling units on each
monthly charge date, based on the person's age at that time.
In traditional plans, the charges are not disclosed. There is an annual fee of Rs
150 for regular premium policies and Rs 300 for single premium ones.
Returns
In case of ULIP, in an eventuality you receive the sum assured or fund value
whichever is higher and on maturity the fund value. In normal endowment plan, ineither case you receive the same benefit i.e. the sum assured and vested bonus.
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In case you stop paying premiums?
If this is in the first 3 years then in case of ULIP, on cancellation of the policy
before paying regular premium for 3 years, there is a charge of 25% of the
outstanding premiums due during this 3-year period. In case of normal endowment
the policy lapses and nothing is paid back
If you stop paying premiums after 3 years, in ULIP you have the option to
make policy paid up, provided the policy has accumulated sufficient policy value. At
present this amount is Rs 15,000. If the fund value of a paid up policy falls below Rs
15,000 then the policy is cancelled and the fund value is returned to you. The risk
cover continues for the sum assured even though the policy has reached the paid upstatus. In traditional plan the policy becomes a paid up policy.
Medicals
In both the plans the norms for medicals are similar i.e. medicals are
compulsory.
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ICICI PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE LAUNCHES PRODUCT
STRUCTURED ALONG NEW ULIP GUIDELINES
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, Indias No. 1 private life insurance
company, has become the first life insurer in India to introduce a single premium
product LifeLink Super - which is structured along the new ULIP guidelines that
were issued by IRDA in December 2005.
LifeLink Super will open with a New Fund Series that allocates units to
customers at an NAV of Rs 10 per unit on the opening day - March 13, 2006.
The new ULIP guidelines have created a level field for the structure of single
premium products. With LifeLink Super, the company believes that they have a
product that can compete with the single premium products available in the market,
without diluting the concept of life insurance as a long-term instrument for protection
and wealth creation.
The new product -LifeLink Super has a minimum term of 5 years. The product
has embedded options to choose between 2 levels of Sum Assured (125% or 500%).
For e.g, if an individual chooses to pay Rs. 50,000, his sum assured will be either Rs.
62,500 (125%) or Rs. 2,50,000 (500%).
There are four fund options- equity, balanced, debt, and money markets &
cash and the policy holder can shift between funds, four times a year for free.
LifeLink Super is targeted at individuals who want to invest a lumpsum and
earn returns over the long-term, without the pressure of regular future payouts, and is
likely to find great appeal amongst sportsmen, artists, freelancers, and those who want
to invest windfall profits and bonus.
It can be purchased by anyone between the ages of 0-65 years. Those aged 44
years or less pay a single premium of atleast Rs 25,000 and those 45 years and above
pay a single premium of atleast Rs 50,000.
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TATA AIG LIFE INSURANCE LAUNCHES ULIP SUPERANNUATION
Tata AIG Life Insurance Company Ltd launched its unit-linked insurance
plans (ULIP) for superannuation and gratuity schemes in the city, making it the first private life insurance entity offering both traditional and ULIP products in the
country.
Tata AIG Life has entered into agreements with Franklin Templeton
Investments (India) for their non-discretionary investment advisory services and AIG
Global Investment Group for their investment advisory services, the company said in
a release on Monday.
The ULIP superannuation scheme provides individual members the flexibility
to decide on the allocation of their money based on their risk appetite. In case of the
ULIP gratuity scheme, the employer or trustee has the flexibility to decide the ratio of
investment.
Tata AIG Life managing director Ian J Watts said: "we are delighted to
announce that corporates and institutions can now benefit from our ULIP as they can
invest for their superannuation and gratuity schemes. We are encouraged by our early
success, with millions being invested in this business by some of the big names in the
corporate world."
Earlier this month, Tata AIG Life Insurance Company had launched its ULIP -
`Invest Assure' - a unit linked insurance plan for individuals.
Tata AIG Life is extending three of its ULIP - equity, income and liquid fundsto corporates and institutions for investments of superannuation and gratuity schemes.
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UTI TO RELAUNCH ULIP IN SEPT 06
THE second largest mutual fund scheme from the Unit Trust of India (UTI)
would be relaunched in September. Unit-Linked Insurance Plan-1971 (ULIP) with
investors' assets in excess of Rs. 5,400 crores and over 17 lakh investors would be
relaunched with revised features conforming to SEBI regulations.
The revised offer document has been approved by SEBI and the scheme would
be branded as ULIP instead of ULIP-71.
With this, UTI would have brought all of its about 70 schemes, except Unit
Scheme-1964 (US-64), CRTS and CCCF, under the Securities and Exchange Board
of India mutual funds regulations.
In the new format, ULIP would move from the administered pricing
mechanism to net asset value (NAV)-based pricing, the UTI Executive Director, Mr.
B.G. Daga, told Business Line. Earlier, the sale and repurchase prices were fixed on a
monthly basis by the UTI management considering the income accruals and dividend
yields. The open-ended scheme would now declare weekly NAV-based sale andrepurchase price.
Another significant change in the scheme's structure is in relation to the
personal accident cover which has been increased to Rs. 50,000 from Rs. 30,000.
Further, additional post-maturity bonus at the rate of 0.5 per cent per annum
would be paid to those investors who continue in the scheme after the completion of
the 10 or 15 year-plan depending upon the individual option. During such extended periods, investors would continue to have personal accident cover.
With the change-over to NAV-driven pricing and increase in personal accident
cover, ULIP would now be open to non-resident Indians (NRIs) as well. UTI has been
able to get the clearance from Life Insurance Corporation of India to extend the
scheme to NRIs, Mr. Daga said. Earlier, ULIP was not open for subscription by NRIs.
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All the basic features such as target amount and tax concessions would remain
with changes in certain operational aspects after the scheme becomes SEBI-
compliant.
The SEBI regulations prohibit investments in certain instruments such as term
deposits. ``UTI has already started implementing the changes as fresh investments
under the scheme are made keeping in view the SEBI regulations,'' Mr. Daga said.
ULIP, CRTS and CCCF and US-64, which were launched before SEBI came
into being and its mutual funds regulations were framed, are being converted to bring
them in conformity to the SEBI regulations.
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LIC SELLS MORE TRADITIONAL POLICIES THAN ULIPS
Saturday, 15 April , 2006, 08:16
Mumbai: The share of unit-linked products in Life Insurance Corporation's new
business portfolio has shrunk in the last fiscal. The ratio of unit-linked and traditional
plans has changed to 42:58 in 2005-06 from 65:35 in the previous year. This would
mean that LIC has sold more of conventional policies than ULIPs in 2005-06.
While the unit-linked products' first premium income was Rs 7,631.7 crore,
the conventional products raked in Rs 10,453.7 crore. A.K. Shukla, Chairman, LIC,
said that the Corporation's focus was on providing traditional insurance cover, to
which 90 per cent of its agents are dedicated. The Corporation's golden jubilee
product - Bima Gold, a money-back plan with a lower sum-assured, contributed to 31
per cent of new policies, and also helped in increasing the ratio of traditional products.
Equity investments
LIC made a gross investment of Rs 14,867 crore in the equity market, up from
the previous year's Rs 10,000 crore. Investment in the debt market was around Rs
45,000 crore. LIC had invested Rs 12,000 crore in infrastructure in the last fiscal. "In
the current fiscal, we hope to make long-term investments in five mega power
projects," he said. For fiscal 2005-06, LIC's first premium income grew 48.6 per cent,
to Rs 18,085 crore, up from Rs 12,174 crore in 2004-05.
Record sale
It sold 3.15 crore policies in 2005-06, making for an all-time high growth of
31.7 per cent in new policies. 1.7 crore polices were sold in March alone, LIC's
pension and group schemes contributed Rs 3,911 crore, a growth of 7 per cent in
terms of premium - despite FBT on superannuation. Alternative channels, including
bancassurance, brought in premium of Rs 352 crore.
New products
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LIC plans four or five new products in the current fiscal, and 50-60 more
satellite offices this fiscal, in addition to the existing 25.