ULIPs - Wise investment options for the smart investor

The goal of any investment is to augment wealth. If the invested money does not grow over a certain period of time, it means that the investment instrument is a poor one. This is true of any investment, be it property, gold or the stock market.

A canny investor knows that the right instrument can get not just good returns but create a sizeable corpus for future use. You may choose to invest your money keeping a range of personal and professional goals in mind. The augmented investment can be used to buy a second house, pay for children's foreign education, fund the purchase of a sports car or even set up a retirement fund. However, it is crucial to select the right investment vehicle for the same.

Among the plethora of investment options available in India today, the ULIP seems to be amongst the best ones. A ULIP (Unit Linked Insurance Plan) is a policy that offers the dual benefits of insurance as well as return on investment. The policy holder pays regular premiums for the unit linked plan, just like he would in any other insurance policy. However, this payment is split into two components: one part pays the premium for the ULIP plan while the other is invested in high grade, good quality equity shares.

The investor can make this investment himself, or enlist the help of a reliable fund house to do the same. The latter option is a more viable one, since the designated fund manager handles the investor's entire portfolio and monitors the daily behaviour of the markets on the client's behalf. The funds invested in equities then result in specific units of the shares being allotted to the investor-the potential for returns stems from the value of these units, which change on a daily basis.

The best part is that the investor may influence the outcome of the portfolio by selecting the right units-the ULIP plan allows the investor to switch to other units for better returns.

There are several unit linked insurance policies available in India today, but only a few high performing ones. Of these, the Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI) bouquets of unit linked insurance plans are some of the top performers in this sector.

ABSLI Wealth Max Plan:

This is a single pay ULIP which invests money in 13 different funds.

ABSLI Wealth Secure Plan:

This is an excellent option to get steady returns and provide whole life coverage to the entire family.

ABSLI Wealth Assure Plan:

This is a revolutionary savings and protection plan that offers returns for different stages of life.

##ABSLI Wealth Assure Plan: This is a revolutionary savings and protection plan that offers returns for different stages of life.

ABSLI Fortune Elite Plan:

You can invest your premiums in one of three options: The SIP option, Return Optimiser Option or Self-Managed Option, based on your investment goals.

ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan:

There are guaranteed returns in this plan in lieu of the insurer adding more units to your portfolio when you continue the policy after tenure.