Retirement funds refer to financial plans or schemes that aim to provide monetary support during one’s golden years. Retirement often means an absence of the usual responsibilities that one had to take up in their younger years. During one’s retirement, they can let go of those obligations and live life to the fullest. To ensure you have the financial support to do so, you must opt for the right retirement fund.
But what are retirement funds in detail and how do they work? And how to select the right one for you? Here is a guide to help you answer these questions and more.
Understanding Retirement Funds and How They Work
- Usually, a retirement plan will require you to park or invest money a certain number of years before your retirement age. You can refer to it as your retirement fund.
- When you reach the retirement age, you will receive financial support from the plan. This support can be in the form of a lump sum amount. Or you will receive payouts at regular intervals. You can choose either option based on your needs.
- Retirement funds are also called pension plans or annuity plans, as they provide a steady source of income until one’s demise.
- Along with this primary feature, retirement funds come with various aspects designed to help retired individuals lead financially secure lives.
- The best retirement plan is one that provides life insurance coverage along with post-retirement income. This allows you to enjoy peace of mind for two reasons. First, you know that you are financially secure for life. Second, in case of an unfortunate event, your loved ones will be taken care of, too.
Now that you know what retirement funds are, let’s look at some of their common features.
Key Features of Retirement Plans
Depending on the type of pension plan you choose, you can benefit from a host of useful features.
Escalating Income for Life
As stated above, a retirement plan provides income for life, after one’s retirement. However, a particular amount may not have the same value after a few years due to inflation. In addition, the individual’s needs may also increase as they become older. To combat these issues, one can opt for retirement funds that offer escalating income. This means that your annual income will increase by a certain margin every year, helping you meet your rising needs with ease.
Limited Payment Period
With certain retirement plans, you can choose to pay your full premiums within a limited period only, such as 5 or 10 years. By paying the full premium within these years, you will get to enjoy lifetime annuity benefits. The plan will continue to be active even after the premium payment term ends. You will receive the pre-decided annuity benefits at your retirement, which will continue for your lifetime.
Freedom to Choose Payout Frequency
Each individual is different, and thus, experiences different financial needs. The best retirement plan will give you the option to choose when you receive your payouts. You can select your frequency as yearly, half-yearly, quarterly, or monthly.
When considering which frequency to choose, look at why you want the payouts. If you want to fund an annual trip with it every year, then you can go for a yearly annuity option. If you want to take care of daily expenses and bills with the payouts, a monthly option may be ideal.
Lock-in Period
Once you invest your money in the retirement fund, you may not be able to withdraw it. Withdrawals will be allowed only after the plan reaches a certain stage. This can be beneficial for the individual, as it creates a sense of financial discipline.
Support for Specific Medical Needs
Retired individuals may have higher medical needs than their younger counterparts. A solid state of finances is important to take care of these needs. Fortunately, there are certain types of pension plans which offer support in this area as well. For instance, some pension plans offer insurance coverage against critical illnesses. In case the insured person is diagnosed with a critical illness, the plan will provide a lump sum payout to help deal with the medical or other expenses.
Tax Benefits**
As per prevailing laws, paying towards pension plans allows you to enjoy tax benefits under the old tax regime. You can claim up to ₹1.5 lakhs under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. This means you can enjoy life insurance coverage and stable income during your retirement all the while reducing your tax outgo.
What to Consider When Planning a Retirement Fund?
By now, you will have a clear idea of what retirement funds are and their features. To ensure you have an optimal experience with them, here’s what to consider.
The Time Remaining for Your Retirement
You need clarity on how much time you have before you retire. It will determine how long you can park your funds, and how much you need to invest. A longer horizon means you can go with smaller amounts. Conversely, a shorter time frame means you will have to pay larger amounts to ensure a solid retirement corpus.
Retirement Goals
Make sure to align your retirement funds with your goals. Do you want financial support to indulge in your travel dreams? Or do you want support for your medical needs? You must customise your retirement fund such that your various needs are met. This includes choosing the right plan, a suitable annuity option, payout frequency, and other customisable aspects.
To optimise this process, use a retirement calculator. Enter your current age, when you plan to retire, life expectancy, and other details. Based on these, you will get an estimate of your retirement corpus, which you can use to customise your retirement savings.
Other Sources of Support during Retirement
It is advisable to have a diverse retirement portfolio. Along with annuity plans, you can also consider government-backed retirement schemes such as the National Pension System and Atal Pension Yojana. Opting for more than one source ensures you have multiple streams of income during your retirement years. In addition, the varying eligibility criteria and conditions attached to each scheme will allow you to invest different amounts at different intervals. In the long run, it will help create a robust, comprehensive retirement portfolio.
Ideally, retirement is a period of rest, relaxation, and enjoyment. Opting for retirement funds at the right time helps you make the most of your retirement. With features like limited premium payments, increasing income, critical illness coverage, and more, a retirement plan can help you rest assured that your golden years will be financially secure.
** Tax exemptions are as per applicable tax laws from time to time.
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