What is retirement planning? How is it important?

How Important is Retirement Planning?

Ankit Kumar is a senior software engineer and works in Infosys based in Hyderabad. One of the best things he did is that he started investing a sum of Rs 10,000 every month in a retirement plan since 1994 when he was 35 years of age. Today, Ankit realises that he needs a minimum sum of Rs 2 lakh each month when he will retire this year. If you look closely at the numbers you will understand that he has obtained a return of seven to eight per cent and the sum has almost grown up to one crore.

Isn't Rs 1 crore Sufficient For Retirement?

Well, you might wonder that Rs 1, 00, 00,000 is enough for the retirees. However, when you consider every expense such as education of the child, marriage, medical expenses, outstanding liabilities, and most important inflation then the amount will not be sufficient for everyone and such a retirement planning will not give you peace of mind.

How to Work on Retirement Planning?

Retirement planning is of utmost importance. Primarily, you should think of how your retirement is going to be.

For instance, is it going to be like spending quality time with your family? Or you will be travelling to a foreign land with your family or fine dining with your family and friends at a fancy property/ restaurant? You could also take into consideration the expenses involved in clothing, healthcare, travelling, and so much more.

No matter what, when you are starting the retirement planning calculate inflation specifically when you are simply more than a year or so from the retirement phase. The rule is simple you will be required to replenish seventy to eighty per cent of the pre-retirement income from your retirement plans so that you can enjoy the golden years of your life.

Saving is Good but Compounding Money is Also Important

In case you are one of those who wish to shield the retirement money and diversify the investments, then you should consider a whole life ULIP. Of course, you are free to consider other investment options too; however, this could be a good choice for your requirements.

The whole life ULIP offers the dual benefit of investment and protection and has been designed to cater to the interest of people until 99 to 100 years of age. Such a plan to take care of the beneficiary and provide them with a death benefit and also takes good care of the living requirements during the retirement phase.

You can avail the whole life ULIP at the age of 18 years to 100 years and have the flexibility to exit any age. Besides, you also get to decide the duration you wish to accumulate or wish to save money, which could be until the retirement phase. Depending upon the age you initiate the maturity benefit will be received at the retirement.

For example, supposedly if at the age sixty years you are expecting the corpus to be Rs 5 crore you need to initiate the investment at least by thirty years of age. The sum that you will be required to invest every month until 60 years of age is Rs 15,000. You have the choice to obtain the maturity benefit either as the structured payout or in a lump sum. On the premise of the requirements or any sort of financial emergencies, you can easily decrease or increase the pension that is tax-free as well. This is a special benefit that is designed in this product and can be opted by people who are looking forward to flexibility at a different stage of life in the coming times.

The Bottom Line

The truth is that retirement planning is important and should not be neglected. It helps you to keep a track on the long-term objectives.

In the above-mentioned case of Mr Ankit Kumar, we see that even though he started saving at the correct average time, however, ended in a not so happy position. Simply because retirement planning was not right.

The best way to start retirement planning is as early as possible and avail best compounding returns and simply not rely upon a single source of savings. Remember, emergencies do not come with prior notice. And at old-age individuals are slightly more prone to it. Therefore, a sufficient wealth corpus is important for the golden years of your life.