Your Expectations and the Tenure of the Plan
Preparing for your child's future should begin as soon as he or she is born. Starting early will keep you one step ahead of your child's needs. Invest in a plan that ensures you get the best return and that your child gets the funds he or she needs to reach his or her future goals, regardless of his or her situation.
Most parents require significant financial funding for their children's education and wedding. You must calculate the required funds for each milestone while keeping the year of requirement in mind. When planning for future needs, consider not only funds for academics but also funds for your child's extracurricular activities. With the increasing talent competition on TV channels and successful careers in sports, singing, dancing, and painting, you should not limit your child's talent in other fields by failing to plan funds for those activities.
The Plan Should Include a Premium Waiver Benefit
Most child plans include a premium waiver benefit as an option or as a key feature of the base plan. The premium waiver is especially important because it protects the policy against financial and income loss in the event of a parent's death. All future premiums are waived, and the policy remains active for the duration of the policy term. This ensures that, aside from the death benefit, the maturity benefit is preserved throughout the policy period.
Invest in Equity-Linked Plans if you can Afford the Risks
If you have high risk tolerance and want your child plan fund to grow over time, it is best to invest in equities and consider unit-linked child plans (at least 10 years and above). Long-term equities provide good returns, which helps your child plan fund grow. In an ideal world, the child plan would include a balanced mix of debt and growth funds, as well as risk protection. Look for a child plan that includes a system transfer option to protect investment gains.
If You are Not Willing to Take Risks, Consider an Endowment Plan
If you don't like taking risks with your investments and prefer a child plan with some form of guarantee, an endowment plan will provide adequate coverage while also protecting you from volatile market conditions.
Check the plan for the bonuses to which you will be entitled. Bonuses begin to accumulate after the first year and significantly contribute to the corpus. Also, look into the type of bonus that is associated with your plan. For example, if it is a revisionary bonus, you can determine whether it is simple or compound, and if there is a cash bonus, you can determine what options are available with it. All the best saving plans for children offer unique features and offerings. Examine the plan details carefully and choose the one that best meets your needs and will assist your child in achieving his life goals.