Retirement planning is the best way to organize your income for a happy and peaceful post-retirement life. However, you have to choose the correct financial instruments and the right timing to start saving based on the number of active working years for you. Financial planning for retirement should consider how you allocate the income during the employment phase towards a money-saving plan that will contribute and suffice for post-retirement needs. It should also be based on your monthly expenses, short-term and long-term financial goals with an eye on the inflation rate. Here are five financial instruments that you should include to make a complete retirement plan.
- National Pension Scheme (NPS):National Pension Scheme is a Central government scheme and considered one of the best savings plan options in India for people having a low risk appetite. It is a social security initiative that lets people invest in a personal pension account regularly. The amount is invested in securities, bonds etc. Post-retirement, the account holders can receive a certain lump sum amount and further the remaining portion as regular pension payments.
- Public Provident Fund (PPF):Public Provident Fund is a long-term savings plan that is government-backed with excellent tax benefits for 15 years. The amount can be invested in the PPF account monthly or annually. It accrues interest annually and a guaranteed return on maturity. The fund is not invested in the securities market and hence it is ideal for building a risk-free corpus. There is a facility for partial withdrawal at the end of 7 years.
- Life insurance savings plans: Life insurance companies have introduced the insurance saving plan, a comprehensive solution for all your retirement needs. It offers dual benefits of insurance and, additionally, guaranteed returns from savings. You can receive the returns as a lump sum amount, a combination of lump sum and annual income or as a regular monthly income. You also have flexible premium payment options such as monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually.
As the returns are guaranteed in this insurance savings plan, you can plan for your long-term financial commitments with precision and it is considered one of the best retirement plans in India. The guaranteed income plan will ensure that your family’s financial needs at different stages of life are met, even in your absence.
TATA AIA life insurance policy with an assured savings component offers various features to ensure maximum protection to your family with sufficient guaranteed returns. It is safe as the returns are guaranteed and give one of the best returns in the long term with tax benefits.
- Annuity Plan:An annuity plan is a well-designed retirement plan to park your retirement funds. When you purchase an annuity plan, you will receive regular monthly income for a defined income period. If you are not confident of how the lump sum amount received at the end of your employment phase should be used, you can choose the annuity plan. There are different annuity plans, such as the deferred annuity plan, immediate annuity plan etc.
- Mutual Funds:If you plan to invest and earn market-linked returns, mutual funds are the best considering their fund management techniques. Mutual funds are a pool of funds collected from different investors to purchase securities and other financial instruments.
It is safe for a retirement plan because it is managed by an asset management company that offers professional service. It is comparatively safer as the risk is spread across different investors. You can invest in mutual funds as a systematic investment plan by allocating a small sum monthly towards the fund in a phased and flexible manner.
Conclusion
Retirement has to be planned with wholesome benefits. Social security, personal investments, traditional savings plans, comprehensive insurance solutions and defined contribution plans are some of the major sources of retirement income. NPS and PPF have assured government-managed terms and are very popular. For market-linked returns with your preferred risk tolerance levels, mutual funds can be helpful. Annuity plans can manage your retirement corpus earned in the best possible manner.
However, if you are looking for a complete plan to secure your family’s financial needs, save money for the future and get assured income regularly, the guaranteed income plan can be the only best choice!