Ans: The Provident Fund (PF) scheme was launched by the Government of India in 1968 to create a pan India scheme for the citizens for their retirement planning. Any Indian above the age of 18 years can open the PF account and deposit amounts from as low as Rs. 500 to Rs. 1.5 lakh per year. The PF interest rate is compounded over its 15 years tenure to build up a large retirement corpus base for the individual. It has a lock-in period of 7 years and allows the investors to make withdrawals from the eight year onwards, though withdrawal of all the funds is allowed only after the maturity period. The plan can be renewed beyond the initial 15 years for additional periods of 5 years each.

Ans: Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) is a provident fund and insurance scheme administered by the Government of India for all employees of various organisations across the country. The provident fund requires employees of a member organisation to make a contribution of 12% of their income towards the fund along with an equal contribution by their employers. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation that manages the fund invests most of the amounts received from employees in debt securities though the Government allows 5% to 15% to be invested in the stock market. The Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) is a completely different scheme but which is interrelated with the Employees' Provident Fund, both being managed under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 1952. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation diverts 8.33% of the 12% salary contribution that the employers have made for their employees’ EPF into the employees’ EPS accounts. The 12% contribution that the employees have made from their own salary stays in the EPF.

Ans: The National Pension Scheme or the New Pension Scheme is a Government of India initiative to give policyholders a pension plan that will take care of them at old age. The retirement planning becomes easier with the new pension scheme as the pensioners receive a pension depending on their contribution towards the pension plan during the accumulation stage. The voluntary new pension scheme in India is managed by the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority that was set up by an act of the Indian Parliament in 2013. The new pension scheme is a voluntary scheme that is open to all people in the age group of 18 to 60 years. It seeks to inculcate a discipline of savings among Indians to take care of their future. The new pension scheme contribution starts with Rs. 500 per month or Rs. 6,000 per year. There is no limit on the maximum contribution, though. The Income Tax Act allows a deduction of only Rs. 50,000 under section 80CCD (1B). The new pension scheme provides a range of benefits such as the option to select from a range of investment choices and to choose the pension fund manager of one’s choice. The new pension scheme also allows individuals to switch between different investment options and also between different fund managers. Let’s look at them in more detail to answer the question what is new pension scheme?ure activities. Pension plan funds your to-do-lists post retirement. A pension plan is a great way to be financially independent in your second innings.

After premiums are paid for a certain defined period or beyond and if subsequent premiums are not paid, the sum assured is reduced to a proportionate sum, which bears the same ratio to the full sum assured as the number of premiums actually paid bears to the total number originally stipulated in the policy. For example, if sum assured is 1 lakh and the total number of premiums is payable is 20 (20 years policy, mode of premium is assumed yearly) and default occurs after 10 yearly premiums are paid, the policy acquires the paid up value of 50,000/-. Paid up Value = No. of Premiums Paid / No. of Premiums Payable X S.A=10/20 X 100000 = 50000/-. This means that the policy is effective as before except that from the date the 11th premium was due, the sum assured is 50,000/- instead of original 1,00,000/-. To this sum assured the bonus already vested (accrued) before the policy lapsed, is also added. Example if the bonus accrued up to the date of lapse is 35,000/-, the total paid up value is 50000 + 35000 = 85000.

Ans: The National Pension Scheme or the New Pension Scheme is a Government of India initiative to give policyholders a pension plan that will take care of them at old age. The retirement planning becomes easier with the new pension scheme as the pensioners receive a pension depending on their contribution towards the pension plan during the accumulation stage. The voluntary new pension scheme in India is managed by the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority that was set up by an act of the Indian Parliament in 2013. The new pension scheme is a voluntary scheme that is open to all people in the age group of 18 to 60 years. It seeks to inculcate a discipline of savings among Indians to take care of their future. The new pension scheme contribution starts with Rs. 500 per month or Rs. 6,000 per year. There is no limit on the maximum contribution, though. The Income Tax Act allows a deduction of only Rs. 50,000 under section 80CCD (1B). The new pension scheme provides a range of benefits such as the option to select from a range of investment choices and to choose the pension fund manager of one’s choice. The new pension scheme also allows individuals to switch between different investment options and also between different fund managers. Let’s look at them in more detail to answer the question what is new pension scheme?ure activities. Pension plan funds your to-do-lists post retirement. A pension plan is a great way to be financially independent in your second innings.

Ans: The Pradhan Mantri Atal Pension Yojana or PM pension scheme for short is a unique retirement planning option introduced to bring the rural population under the ambit of pension schemes in India. The retirement planning solution allows any individual within the age group of 18 to 40 to contribute and get the necessary retirement benefits that were hitherto not available for them. The premium can be paid through monthly, quarterly and half yearly payment options.

Ans: The participating pension plans are also called the traditional type of insurance plans, since the bonus in these products are similar to the reversionary bonuses of the standard insurance policies. In traditional plans, the insurance company offers the insured a bonus that is a percentage of the sum assured of their policy. This bonus is generally declared by the insurance company each year based on its performance in the previous year. The reversionary bonus is generally of the nature of simple interest where the bonus of the previous period does not get added to the sum assured. These bonuses declared in the tenure of the retirement policy get accumulated and the lump sum amount distributed to the insured party when the policy matures. The participating pension scheme in India allows for a planned approach to retirement planning. The non-participating plans declare their bonus amounts at the time of the investor signing up for the plan. The insurance company has no discretion in non-participating pension plans and have to deliver on the amounts promised under the pension plan. Most of the top pension plans in India offer retirement benefits or bonuses that are pegged to certain indices. These may be the larger market index or smaller indices comprising of a few securities or government bonds. The non-participating plans offer more definite returns and make it easier for people to do their retirement planning.

Settlement option means the facility made available to the policy holder to receive the maturity proceeds in a defined manner (the terms and conditions are specified in advance at the inception of the contract).

Ans: Pension Plan is a kind of insurance cum investment plan. In this plan, the insured pays regular premium to the insurance company to build up a corpus over time. On maturity (retirement), this corpus is paid back to the insurer in the form of regular income. However, in case the insured dies, the beneficiary will get the sum assured along with the bonuses.

Ans: The regular payouts you get of your pension plan post retirement is called annuity. The annuity can be availed on a monthly/quarterly/half-yearly/yearly basis.

Ans: Pension plan assures a regular income post retirement when you enter the no-more-paychecks phase of your life. Retirement is perhaps the best time to enjoy leisure activities. Pension plan funds your to-do-lists post retirement. A pension plan is a great way to be financially independent in your second innings.

Ans: Yes, you do. 'PF is simply not enough.' The ever growing inflation will make your PF amount look quite minuscule in the future. It will not suffice your future expenses. This becomes all the more important, as you become more vulnerable to health problems in your old age. A lone provident fund amount will utterly fail to financially support the healthcare needs.

Ans: You can do that with a Retirement Calculator. You need to put in the following details in the calculator and it’ll sum up an ideal corpus. Present cost of living (monthly expenses) Inflation rate Retirement age Number of years you expect to live post retirement.

Ans: Pension Plans can be classified on various parameters. Here On the basis of mode of premium payment Deferred Annuity Pension Plan - The premium is paid regularly on a monthly/quarterly/annual basis. The annuity begins after a time period as specified by the policyholder in the annuity contract. Immediate Annuity Pension Plan - A lump sum is paid as a one-time premium and the annuity begins almost immediately and continues for the policy term or throughout the insured’s life. On the basis of nature of investment ULIP Pension Plans - The pool of funds created by the premiums of the insured persons is invested both in debt instruments and equity instruments. Since it’s a market linked plan, the potential for returns is high. Traditional Pension Plans - The pool of funds created by the premiums of the insured persons is invested only in debt instruments. The returns are steady but not substantial. On the basis of tenure Life annuity Pension Plan - The annuity is paid out to the insured until his/her death. Fixed Term Annuity Pension Plan - The annuity is paid out to the insured until a fixed term (decided by the policyholder). The term could be quite earlier than the insured’s death.