Guaranteed Pension Plans - Understand Assured Financial Independence at Retirement

Introduction

Retirement is possibly one of the phases in an individual’s life when guaranteed income is the need of the hour. A guaranteed pension plan goes a long way in fulfilling this need. This is the stage in a person’s life in which income is no longer regularly generated. So, people must plan to safeguard their financial future with a guaranteed plan.

Benefits of a Guaranteed Pension Plan

If you are a salaried individual, or even if you own a business, a guaranteed pension creates financial security for retirement. By investing a sum on a regular basis throughout your earning life, you can guarantee a corpus at retirement. The money you place in a pension fund regularly is invested in such a way that yields a regular income flow at retirement. Here are the key benefits:

• By starting your investment early while working, you can build a corpus for your retirement gradually.
• You get the advantage of a guaranteed source of income during your retirement.
• Some pension plans offer you a guaranteed income flow in your retirement, lasting up to your whole life (hence, called a “guaranteed pension plan”).
• You get several options in an annuity.
• Annuity is receivable on a monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly, or yearly basis, according to your goals.
• You can select your date of retirement for annuity payment to begin.

Features of a Guaranteed Pension Plan

Some benefits of a guaranteed pension plan overlap with some of the features. Nonetheless, here are the main features:

• A Guaranteed Benefit at Maturity

  In any plan with a maturity period, there is a guaranteed benefit at maturity. The benefits at maturity in a guaranteed pension plan constitute the value of the fund, or 101% of premiums (regular investments made by the pension holder), the higher of the two being applicable.

• Guaranteed Benefit on Death

  Every pension plan includes a death benefit, payable to nominees after the passing away of the holder of the plan.

• Tax Advantages

  Under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act^#, the proceeds of a pension plan are exempted from taxation. This may depend on the plan.

• Coverage for Life

  Dependents of pension plan holders get financial security for life.

• Discontinuation

  You may discontinue a plan at any time.

Steps to Purchase a Guaranteed Pension Plan Online

You can follow the steps below to buy a pension plan online:

1. Choose your plan by visiting the website of the plan you require.
2. Pay a lump sum payment or pay regular premiums.
3. Select the option for annuity.
4. Opt for the frequency of payouts of the annuity.
5. Pension plans will kick in at retirement provided all premiums are paid, and plans are not withdrawn or discontinued.

Plans at a Glance

When you buy a guaranteed pension plan, you get a range to choose from, depending on the ages of entry and exit. The options for annuity also change with these ages. Here are some aspects of guaranteed plans at a glance:

Annuity Options Available Under the Plan

Note that the annuity is the periodic payment made by the company from where the plan is issued to the holder of the plan (the Annuitant), and this is given according to a fixed tenure or till survival. The annuity options available under a guaranteed pension plan are the following:

• Options for a deferred or immediate annuity.
• Annuity may be obtained once a month, once in three months, once in six months or once a year.
• Through the facility of “top up”, annuity payments may be increased.

Conclusion

A guaranteed pension plan is a sensible way to secure your future when you retire and that of your beneficiaries should an unforeseen emergency occur (like your demise). While you earn, it is easy to opt for such a plan and grow your corpus, increasing it with increased premiums, ensuring you have the capital for the future.

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