
Savings Plan
Looking for tax savings investment plans to meet your long-term and short-term financial goals? Understand various investment instruments and saving schemes in India, and then choose the best plan at PolicyBazaar.

Best Saving Plans in India
Plan Name
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Plan Type
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Entry Age
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Maximum Maturity Age
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SBI Life Smart Wealth Builder Plan
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Unit Linked Insurance Plan
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7 - 60/65 Years
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70 years
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HDFC Life Pension Super plus Plan
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Unit Linked Pension Plan
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35 – 65 years
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75 years
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Future Generali Select Insurance Plan
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Unit Linked Insurance Plan
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7 – 60 Years
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70 years
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MetLife Money Back Plan
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Money Back Plan
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13 – 55 years
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65 years
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Birla Sun Life Insurance Bachat Endowment Plan
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Non-participating Endowment Plan
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30 days – 60 years
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80 years
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Max Life Platinum Wealth Plan
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Unit Linked Insurance Plan
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18 – 55/60 years
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65/70 years
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ICICI Pru Subh retirement Plan
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Unit Linked Pension Plan
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35 – 70 years
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80 years
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Kotak Classic endowment Plan
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Participating Endowment Plan
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0 – 60 years
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75 years
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Aegon Life Rising Start Plan
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Unit Linked Child Insurance Plan
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1 day – 15 years(for child); 18 – 60 years (for proposer)
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75 Years
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HDFC Life Pro Growth Plus Plan
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Unit Linked Insurance Plan
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14 - 65 years (Life Option), 18 - 55 years (Extra Life Option)
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75 years (Life Option), 70 Years (Extra Life Option)
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There are several types of life insurance policies available in the market. Broadly, there are three categories. Some offer pure protection (insurance), others offer protection as well as investment while some only have investment as their objective. In India, however, life insurance has been used more for investment purposes in one’s overall financial planning.
The tax savings investment plans help build a large corpus and also beat inflation. We at PolicyBazaar help you compare investment plans offered by all major life insurance companies in India and assist in selecting a plan most suited for you. Though each plan is unique, certain important factors must be kept in mind while selecting a savings investment plan:
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Risk Profile: It is important to determine one’s risk appetite to find the best saving plan. Age and personal factors are important determinants of the kind of risk one can take. Generally, young people in their 20s and early 30s can opt for the higher risk but lucrative return options. They can choose investment plans which are more aggressive – those which invest one’s money more in the equity segment of the stock market and lesser in debt. A Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) is more suited for young customers who are willing and able to take such financial risks. On the other hand, a traditional endowment or a money-back plan is better suited for the needs of a conservative investor, who prefers to have the guarantee of the money being secure even though it generates lower returns.
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Plan Features: Different plans have different features. The best tax saving investment plans allows one to make partial withdrawals by surrendering a certain portion of the policy while retaining other benefits. Some of investment options have a fixed cover ranging from 5/10 years to 30/35 years depending on what one wants. Others provide cover for entire life. With comprehensive cover and flexible options, one can enjoy protection as well as growth through savings. Some plans also offer bonuses, the amount of which is decided by the insurance companies based on the performance of their investments in the market.
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Flexibility of the Plan: For long term goals, this plan allows one to take care of unexpected short term needs. They offer the flexibility of surrendering the policy if the situation so demands. However, it is better to stick with the tax saving plan for the longer term so that they give better returns.
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Charges of the Best Investment Options: Understanding the costs and charges involved is vital when selecting a saving plan in India. These best savings plans have minimum charges and provide flexibility in terms of cash withdrawal, bonus receipt and term of the policy. Also, the long-term effect of these charges ismuch less and makes a tax saving investment plan a great way to increase wealth at low cost.

Compare Saving Plans in India
Lot of tax saving investment plans in India serve as saving schemes in India or act as tax saving investment. You can do well to compare from among these best investment plans in India and get the savings investment plans that you need to use as your personalised money saving plan. You can use an investment calculator India to calculate your priorities such as making a tax saving investment along with putting your money in one of the better saving schemes in India.

Best Investment Options in Insurance
Savings Plan Options 1: Endowment Plans
Endowment plans are regular saving plans which help build a corpus and give guaranteed maturity benefits along with bonuses. The product is a best saving plan in India as they give returns that are equivalent to a fixed yield or deposit. In addition, they also combine insurance risk cover with add-on riders to primarily build a safety cushion in case something goes wrong. They are clearly among the best investment options available to people looking for an insurance cover as well as investment and saving schemes in India.
An endowment policy covers risk for a specified period at the end of which the insured receives the sum assured plus all accrued bonuses. They are considerably highly expensive (considering the annual premium payment) as compared to a term or whole life plan. If the policyholder dies during the policy term, then a payout of the sum insured along with bonus is issued immediately to the beneficiary.
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WithoutProfit Endowment Plans: Withoutprofit endowment plans have no participation in the annual profits of the insurance company. Despite the sum assured,one can possibly get the loyalty bonus as a single payout made if you stick to the insurer. These are the best investment options for investors looking for a low premium saving plan that offers safer returns.
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WithProfit Endowment Plans: These plans share profits an insurance company makes each year with the policyholder. They offer more returns than withoutprofit endowment plans. However, they are expensive as their premium is higher than withoutprofit endowment plans. These policies are investment options for people who are looking for increased but safer returns.
Assured returns insurance plan, also called guaranteed additions in insurance parlance, is when one knows the return or profit at the beginning. If the assurance of return is non-guaranteed, it is called a bonus.
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Reversionary Bonus: Also called a regular bonus, this is an annual bonus which depends on the performance of the insurer and is added to the fund every year, payable at the end of policy period of these best investment options. Most insurance companies ensure that they accrue regularly and serve for the investors looking for safer returns.
Endowment plans are best suited for someone who is looking for additional benefits along with a life cover. They are among the best investment options and offer multiple insurance plans to meet double endowment policy, education endowment policy, marriage endowment policy an individual’s distinctive needs, viz. education endowment policy,full endowment,double endowment policy, unit linked endowment, marriage endowment policy, and low cost endowment.
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Endowment plans provide dual benefit of investment and insurance making them one of the best investment plans in India
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They offer long term investment and allow one to receive a lump sum amount after some years or at the time of maturity, making them one of the tax savings investment.
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They are ideal if one wants to pay premium for a short period and wants to enjoy benefits from the plan over the policy term
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Endowment plans are a good tax savings option as they are tax free. Section 80C of the Income Tax Act allows tax benefit on the annual premium and section 10(10D) makes maturity claims completely tax-free.
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Policyholders also have the option to add accidental riders to further enhance the cover by paying a marginal premium. People can use an investment calculator in India to find the benefits
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Endowment policies are amongst the best investment options as they are liquid in nature
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If for some reason, one ceases to pay premium after a set minimum number of years, then a free paid-up policy may be secured with reduced sum assured, subject to certain conditions
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In case the policyholder survives the policy term, sum assured amount and additional bonuses accumulated during the term are also paid further highlighting the benefits of endowment plans
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In case the policyholder dies during the policy term, the death benefits are paid to the nominees which include full sum assured amount and additional vested bonus

Savings Plan Options 2: Money Back Plans
Money back life insurance policies are popular as they offer dual benefit of insurance and redemption of money at regular intervals. A best saving plan is a type of endowment plan which gives periodic cash payouts to investors over the policy term. As they help build regular large capsules of funds, they are useful for the salaried class who wish to save money to buy large assets every 3-5 years. These plans are meant for individuals who require money at certain intervals in their lifetime to meet fixed short-term and long-term financial requirements such as buying a car or house.
A portion of the sum assured is paid out at regular intervals in a money back policy. If the policyholder survives the term, he gets the balance sum assured in the best saving plan. In case of death over the policy term, the beneficiary gets the full sum assured irrespective of the payouts already made. The bonus is also calculated on the full sum assured and not the balance money left. Because of these two reasons, premiums on money back plans are higher than endowment plans.

Savings Plan Options 3: Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs)
A ULIP is a type of life insurance product, which combines the safety of insurance protection with wealth creation opportunities. A part of the investment goes towards providing life cover and the residual portion is invested in a fund which invests in stocks or bonds. ULIPs are the easiest and best investment plans in India for a person to enter the stock market with an added advantage of life cover. As these products provide tax benefits and market linked returns, they are one of the investment options for the long-term.
ULIPs offer many investment funds to choose from which allow the flexibility to shift between equity and debt, based on the market conditions and one’s risk profile. ULIPs are structured in such a way that the protection and the savings elements are easily distinguishable, and hence, can be managed according to one’s specific needs. This way, ULIPs offer unprecedented flexibility and transparency.
Types of ULIPs That Serve as Good Investment Options
One of the biggest advantages of a ULIP is that it serves a variety of financial objectives and acts as a best saving plan for all investors. There are different ULIPs for just about everyone. Depending on one’s life-stage and corresponding goals, there is sure to be a ULIP that can help provide the best investment options for the individual.
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Retirement is the end of active employment and therefore, regular income. With disciplined savings in a pension plan, one is able to amass enough funds to provide a steady income post-retirement. Plus the fact that they are a tax saving investment is an added plus.
One can either make a lump sum payment or regular yearly contribution during earning years in the tax savings pension plan. The money in a best saving plan is then invested in funds of one’s choice. In retirement plans, the earlier one begins the greater one gains post-retirement because of the power of compounding.
One can choose to receive annuity any time after the vesting age (the age at which one becomes eligible for pension decided at the beginning) in a best saving plan. Most unit-linked tax saving investment pension plans come with a wide range of annuity options which let one structure post-retirement benefits payouts.
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ULIPs are a good option if one is looking for long term wealth creation along with an insurance cover. Young people in their 20s and early 30s invest in such plans as it allows them to use the funds for long-term financial goals like purchasing a house, paying for their child's higher education, etc.
Best investment options such as ULIPs for wealth creation can be classified as:
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Single Premium – Regular Premium Plans: Depending on one’s needs and premium paying capacity, one can either go in for a plan where one has to pay a lump sum premium once during the policy tenure, also known as single premium plans. Or go in for regular premium plans from a best saving plan where one has to pay periodic premium where the frequency is determined as per one’s convenience. This makes these plans one of the best investment options. Use an investment calculator in India to find what you need.
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Guarantee Plans – Non-Guarantee Plan: Some wealth creation ULIPs offer guaranteed benefit and are thus one of best investment options. These are ideal for people who want to enjoy potentially higher returns without taking any market risk. Non-guarantee plans come with a choice of fund options ranging from aggressive funds (invest in equities with the objective of capital appreciation) to conservative funds (invest in cash, money market instruments and / or bank deposits with the aim of capital preservation). These let the policyholder decide where to invest their money as per their investment preferences and saving plan needs, including the time frame they are looking to get returns.
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Life Stage Based – Non-Life Stage Based: As the name suggests, life stage based ULIPs take into account one’s priorities at different stages in life and accordingly distribute the money across equity and debt. It ensures that the asset allocation is in sync with one’s age and changing financial needs, making them one of the best investment options. On the other hand, non-life stage based do not take into account the age when investing money.
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Child Plans are saving instruments which help parents build a protected asset for their child's future. They also provide many insurance features which protect the intent or reason for corpus building; primarily for child's future education and expenses.
Education today is more important than ever and the good education is expensive. The main responsibility of parents is to ensure that their child gets the best education possible. ULIPs designed especially for children’s education ensure that sufficient money is available at key milestones ensuring that the child's education is not hampered even if something unfortunate happens to the parent (policyholder). Child education plans are the best investment options safeguard the child against the financial ramifications of the death of a parent.
ULIP Child plans also offer the following features that make them one of the best tax saving investment plans:
- Flexibility of including riders, such as income benefit rider, disability rider and more for extra benefits. These ensure that the child will get a fixed amount of money annually to meet his/her educational expenses, making them one of the best investment options.
- In case of death of a parent, the child will not only immediately receive the sum assured but will also continue to receive money at the key educational milestones. This makes them one of the best investment plans in India for children
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Healthcare costs are increasing at an alarming rate. Illnesses sometimes force families to borrow and sell assets to meet expenses turning medical emergencies into financial emergencies. This is why the insurance industry has come up with a novel innovation recently called the Health ULIP. Health ULIP is the best savings plan, designed for investing a portion of the premium to building a health fund to meet the future health-related expenses by investing in a long-term flexible savings plan with multiple fund options. A health fund allows one to claim health related expenses and also fund future health insurance charges. It has the benefit of tax exemption on premium paid under section 80D of the Income Tax Act.
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Market Linked Returns: Unit linked plans offer the opportunity to earn market-linked returns as part of the premiums is invested in market linked funds which invest in different market instruments - debt and equity in varying proportions depending on one’s risk appetite. If the market does well, one can earn good returns. This makes ULIPs amongst the best investment plans in India. Use an investment calculator India to check which of the tax saving investment options make sense for you.
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Life Protection, Investment and Savings: Unit linked plans offer the twin benefit of life insurance and savings at market-linked returns, making them one of the best investment options. ULIPs offer protection and also give the opportunity to invest money to earn high returns. It helps one instil the habit of saving and investing, important for building wealth over a period of time.

Best Saving Plan for Tax Saving
Best investment plans in India also make for good tax savings instruments. In life insurance, the premium amount payable is deductible from taxable income up to a maximum amount of Rs. 1 lakh under section 80C. Maturity proceeds and death benefits are also tax exempted under section 10(10D) making them one of the ideal tax saving investments.
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- Mutual Funds: This is a professionally managed trust in which investment is pooled from retail investors. The accumulated amount is invested in different financial instruments like shares, securities, etc. As the income is earned on these instruments, it is shared proportionally among investors. A mutual fund is considered one of the best investment options due to its very low charge structure.
- Investments in Gold: The value of gold has been appreciating steadily. Looking at the last few years, there has been more than 22% annualized returns; this makes gold a very good investment option. For those who are interested in goldcommodities investment, including Gold ETF, e-gold, and physical gold.
- Bank Fixed Deposits, PPF, and Postal Schemes:These are 3 are convenient options for safe investments. The interest rate on PPF account is presently at 8.8% per annum and keeps changing every year; different banks offer different interest rates. There are also many postal investment schemes which can be bought. Unlike insurance, other investment products are not aimed to provide a financial cushion to family in case of unforeseen circumstances, thus, we recommend our consumers to prefer insurance over other financial instruments.

Important Things to Remember While Investing in a Savings Plan
Set Financial Goals: Setting financial goals - both short term and long term, brings a lot of clarity. It helps lay down in black and white what one wants to achieve and, in turn, helps in deciding what kind of insurance plan to buy. Goal setting may appear tedious, but once one goes through the process, one is able to make use of the best investment plans in India. Divide financial goals in terms of time frame and overall objectives. One can set goals for 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, and so on. Broad objectives of a best saving plan may include purchasing a house, saving enough money for child’s higher education and marriage and planning well for retirement.
Maintain Balance Between Risk And Returns in These Best Investment Options: It is important to invest carefully and strike a right balance between risk and returns in a best saving plan. One can afford to invest in an aggressive insurance plan offering the possibility of higher returns, albeit with higher risk when young. It is advised that people in their 20s and early 30s go in for riskier investment options. With age and greater responsibilities, one may taper the risk element and opt for safer investment options. Funds should be allocated accordingly.
Investments Should Be Both Liquid and Fixed in a Saving Plan: Life is fraught with uncertainty. No amount of planning can predict what will happen next. Unforeseen situations and emergencies strike without prior intimation. Therefore, it is wise to have fixed as well as liquid investments. This enables one to have required support during emergencies and also avoids overspending. If the situation demands, liquid investments provide much-needed cash in times of need.
Start Small in These Tax Saving Investments: Investing is an art and it takes years to become good at it. It is best to start small and gradually increase the invested amount with experience. Age also plays a role in investing. As we age, our income levels increase and so does money at disposal for investing. One can choose premium payment option, ranging from monthly to annual to single premium depending on how much money is at hand, keeping in mind other financial commitments.
Research Thoroughly These Best Savings Plans: There are hundreds of tax saving investment insurance plans available in the market, each having different features and benefits. To avoid choosing a wrong insurance plan, one should spend sufficient time researching before investing. The internet is a great way to research about available investment options. One can go to leading online insurance comparison portals and also visit individual insurance policy websites. Financial newspaper, magazines and periodicals are pretty good sources of information related to best investment options and best saving plans in India. One can even take professional help of a certified financial planner and invest in the best investment plans.
Review Portfolio periodically to find the Best Saving Plan in India: Buying the best savings plan is not enough. The investment portfolio has to be reviewed periodically, atleast once every year, so that changes can be made as per the situation at that point in time. Circumstances change – both personal and external. The markets and economy may be performing better and stock markets may be on the rise. In such a situation, one may want to increase exposure to equity. Periodic review allows one to calibrate investments to provide best possible returns.
Ask Questions to Find the Best Investment Options: Insurance plans have become complex. They come with terminology which may be Greek to someone new to investing. Even for people who have purchased insurance plans in the past and have experience with investing, it is a good idea to clear any doubt regarding a particular plan. Understand from the insurance advisor/agent or company representative, details about the policy so that there is no ambiguity left. One can make use of an investment calculator India to calculate the exact premium before buying an insurance policy.
Things to Avoid When Investing In an Insurance Plan
Over Exposure to Single Market Instrument: The old idiom to avoid putting all eggs in one basket holds true for investing in saving plans as well. One should avoid over-exposure to a single market instrument. It is wise to spread investment across a range of investment instruments to hedge against extraordinary loss in a particular instrument.
Over Investing: Over investing can burden finances for present needs. Many times people invest more than what they can comfortably put aside for meeting regular expenses, resulting in the cancellation of policies. The cumulative effect of such cancellations is the loss of hard earned money in penalties.
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