Part - I

Mutual funds is the 'safety of the principal' guaranteed, plus the added advantage of capital appreciation together with the income earned in the form of interest or dividend. Insurance is a provision against risk and it is a device with which man tries to protect himself from risk in life. The recent development in the financial innovation is Unit Link Insurance Policy (ULIP), which covers the concept of mutual fund and insurance.

A Unit Link Insurance Policy (ULIP) is one in which the customer is provided with a life insurance cover and the premium paid is invested in either debt or equity products or a combination of the two. In other words, it enables the buyer to secure some protection for his family in the event of his untimely death and at the same time provides him an opportunity to earn a return on his premium paid. In the event of the insured person's untimely death, his nominees would normally receive an amount that is the higher of the sum assured or the value of the units (investments). To put it simply, ULIP attempts to fulfill investment needs of an investor with protection/insurance needs of an insurance seeker. It saves the investor/insurance-seeker the hassles of managing and tracking a portfolio or products.

Various Schemes

However, there are some schemes in which the policyholder receives the sum assured plus the value of the investments. Various schemes have been tailored to suit different customer profiles and, in that sense, offer a great deal of choice. The advantage of ULIP is that since the investments are made for long periods, the chances of earning a decent return are high. Just as in the case of mutual funds, buyers who are risk averse can buy debt schemes while those who have an appetite for risk can opt for balanced or equity schemes.

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* Contributed by -
A.Sathish Kumar,
Asst. Professor,
Vivekananda PG College,
Karimnagar (AP).