Home Insurance- our home protects us round the year, but it also needs protection against the rude side of nature. Home insurance can protect your residence from both natural disasters and man-made accidents. They offer a compensatory price for damage to property and life in the home.

Health Insurance- If you are taking a health insurance then that is going to give cover to you and your family. This can be on the basis of the type the health insurance is. This gives one the ability to fight sudden medical emergencies owing to hospital bills, medical expenses, specialist charges, etc.

Personal Accident Insurance- This kind of cover is recommended to one to cope with accidental deaths. Life insurance already covers this part. But when a person gets disabled and losses his or her earning capacity either partially or totally, then the personal accident insurance can be helpful.

Motor Insurance- This protects one against vehicle damage and third party cases of accidents. You would have a mutual contract with the insuring company that on payment of a certain amount as premium, the company will pay you a certain amount if any accidents occur. This type of insurance offers medical coverage, liability and property damages. The property damage covers the theft or damage of the car and the liability coverage maintains the legal aspects in terms of property damage and bodily injuries.

Travel Insurance- As the name suggests the policies gives cover while one is on a trip. So, when you are on the trip all your worries will be taken care of by the insurance from sudden medical expenses to loss of passport, baggage, delay of flight, etc. You can have a safe and trouble-free journey with them.

Commercial Insurance- In a company there are several needs of insurance policies. Most companies have several policies that are specifically designed to protect the assets, vehicles, machines, business, employees and other unseen losses. These policies help them to fulfill the immediate requirements.

These are some of the most common types of insurance that one can find in the market. If you are in need, choose the one that best suits your requirements.

Life Insurance Corporation is the largest policymaker in India under the control of the government of India. Insurance is a contract that pledges payment of a sum to the person (or nominee) in case of occurrence of the deed insured against. LIC offers a wide range of policies over a wide range of intervals and customer groups. Life insurance in India started over a hundred years ago. LIC has been the policymaker for over a hundred years. All age groups can make policies, but old aged and the children reap the best benefits.

Children Policies:

The children’s policies offered by LIC are by far the best compared to any other insurance organization. These policies are versatile, and you can tailor them to your requirement. All these policies have a similar layout. You can start the policy before your child reaches the age of 12, and you can choose the age of maturity. The range starts from 18-25 years, according to your child’s career plan. Currently, LIC offers two plans for children.

The New Children’s Money Back Plan:

The New Children’s Money Back Plan is a Non-linked, Participating, Individual, Life Insurance money back plan. It comes with the caption children grow up very fast. This plan offers all three Death, Survival, and Maturity benefits.

The Death benefits include a sum upon an untimely death. Survival benefits include withdrawals at regular intervals, while maturity Benefits include the total policy amount along with the maturity benefits. The survival benefits make this plan suitable for your kid’s education, marriage, and other activities. The survival benefit includes a fixed 20% payment on every anniversary of the plan. You also get the participation profits the LIC decided for the quarter. You get the chance to choose among various survival and death benefits. This makes it best child insurance plan in lic.

You can pay installments Monthly, Quarterly, Half-yearly, or annually. The minimum sum is 1,00,000 rupees, and there is no limit on the maximum.

The Jeevan Tarun Plan:

The Jeevan Tarun plan is an exclusive plan for your kid’s educational expenses. This plan provides you all the four benefits of the above plan, but with different rates and options in each benefit. The minimum maturity age is 20 years, and the survival benefits options are more oriented towards the educational perspective.

This plan gives you four options each for the survival and maturity benefits, making it more versatile. You can choose the percentage of survival and maturity benefits. The options in survival are nil, 5%, 10%, and 15 % a year. Similarly, options for maturity benefits are 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% respectively. This here makes this policy the best lic policy for your child’s future.

Both plans are best child insurance plan in lic. LIC is one of the oldest and trustworthy policymakers in the country. Be sure to go through the terms and conditions thoroughly. Take extra time and advice in selecting your options for the respective benefits. These options cannot be changed midway. Choosing your maturity year is also essential. Be aware of fraud. The insurance and policymaking industry is prone to a lot of fraud. Choose the lic child plan which suits you and secure your kid’s future.

Even more startling: 10% of advice was found to leave investors in an even worse financial position.

Through a “vertically integrated business model”, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ and AMP offer ‘in house’ financial advice, and collectively, control more than half of Australia’s financial planners.

It’s no surprise ASIC’s review found advisers at these banks favoured financial products that connected to their parent company, with 68% of client’s funds invested in ‘in house’ products as oppose to external products that may have been on the firms list.

Why the banks integrated financial advice model is flawed

It’s hard to believe the banks can keep a straight face and say they can abide by the duty for advisers to act absolutely in the best interests of a client.

Under the integrated financial advice model, there are layers of different fees including adviser fees, platform fees and investment management fees adding up to 2.5-3.5%

The typical breakdown of fees is usually as follows: an adviser charge of 0.8% to 1.1%, a platform fee of between 0.4% and 0.8%, and a managed fund fee of between 0.7% and 2.1%. These fees are not only opaque, but are sufficiently high to limit the ability of the client to quickly earn real rates of return.

Layers of fees placed into the business model used by the banks means there is not necessarily an incentive for the financial advice arm to make a profit, because the profits can be made in the upstream parts of the supply chain through the banks promoting their own products.

This business model, however, is flawed, and cannot survive in a world where people are demanding greater accountability for their investments, increased transparency in relation to fees and increased control over their investments.

It is noteworthy that the truly independent financial advisory firms in Australia that offer separately managed accounts have done everything in their power to avoid using managed funds and keep fee’s competitive.

The banks have refused to admit their integrated approach to advice is fatally flawed. When the Australian Financial Review approached the Financial Services Council (FSC), a peak body that represents the ‘for-profit’ wealth managers, for a defence if the layered fee arrangements, a spokesman said no generalisations could be made.

There are fundamental flaws in the advice model, and it will be interesting to see what the upcoming royal commission into banking will do to change some of the contentious issues surround integrated financial advice.

Many financial commentators are calling for a separation of financial advice attached to banks, with obvious bias and failure to meet the best interests of clients becoming more apparent.

Chris Brycki, CEO of Stockspot, says “investors should receive fair and unbiased financial advice from experts who will act in the best interests of their client. What Australians currently get is product pushing from salespeople who are paid by the banks.”

Brycki is calling for structural reform to fix the problems caused by the dominant market power of the banks to ensure that consumers are protected, advisers are better educated and incentives are aligned.

1. Cost of Living: Some factors, determining, the Cost of Living, include: wages (and wage growth); prices, etc, and how wages, are, or, aren’t able, to keep – up, with the increase in costs, etc! Most realize, we have, in the past – few months, experienced, a huge, jump, in pricing, most – apparent, in the food stores, restaurants, and, nearly, everything, related – to, day – to – day, existence, etc!

2. Federal Reserve: In recent times, the near – historic – low, extended period, of interest rates, has, in addition, to the intended measures (helping businesses, and the economy, in trying – times), has caused a Real Estate, Sellers Market, and, a huge rise, in home prices, in most parts of this country! In addition, it created a surge, in consumer use of credit, because, borrowing, appeared, cheaper! However, most economists forecast, many of these supports, and maintaining, such low rates, will, gradually, be reduced (or minimized), probably, beginning, next year. What impact will that have, and will we see, the historic reaction, which has been, when rates rise, it helps reduce inflation, etc?

3. National economy/ conditions: Largely, because of a world – wide, supply – chain, set of obstacles/ challenged, many industries, have experienced, challenges, in terms of, getting sufficient amounts of needed materials, etc! Go into, nearly, any store, and you will see, more – sparse, shelves, than we have seen, in recent memory! In addition, building supplies, products, food, toys, cars and car parts, etc, are under – stress, because of this!

4. Worldwide economies/ economic conditions: Nearly, every nation, is experiencing, economic issues and challenges! The United Kingdom, because of worldwide, as well as specific national trends/ causes/ conditions, has been largely, impacted! Since, we live, largely, in a global economy, when there is any disruption, in the supply – chain, it affects, everyone!

5. Stock and Bond Markets: Because of several reasons/ factors, the United States Stock Market, has benefited, significantly, and experienced, significant increases, in the price of stocks. In addition to the obvious ones, because, interest rates, have been, so low, many investors, believed, stocks, were, nearly, the only game – in – town! When, if, interest rates, rise, bond rates, will rise, and existing, bond prices, will adjust, and drop!

6. Immediate, intermediate, longer – term ramifications/ impacts: The immediate impact of inflation, is, usually, rising prices, and, wages, which, usually, rise, at a far – lower rate! In the intermediate – period, we begin to see, weakening economic trends, and in the longer – term, depending on how long, it ensues, there are often, several, undesirable ramifications, and impacts!

Don’t take inflation, and its risks, for – granted! The more you know, and understand, the better prepared, you will be!

1. Bond prices and interest rates: The price of a bond, generally, is inversely – related to interest rates! When these rates go down, prices, rise, and when they go up, the inverse occurs! Bonds have, what is known, as, a par – value, which is the price, paid, at the end of the term. Markets usually set these at 100, which represents $1,000 per bond, at maturity. However, during the period, the pricing can rise or fall, which impacts, liquidity – related issues!

2. Mortgage rates: For the last few years, we have been witnessing and experiencing, record – low, mortgage interest rates, which have helped the overall, real estate/ housing market, especially, in terms of, pricing increases! In most areas of this country, we are seeing, home prices, at their highest levels, ever, by a significant, dramatic amount! When this rate, is low, a home buyer is able to buy, more – house – for – his – bucks, because, his monthly payments, are so low! Consider, however, what might be the potential ramifications, and impacts, when these rates, will, inevitably, rise?

3. Consumer credit: Low costs of borrowing, help the automobile industry, in terms of consumer financing, etc! Although, not as much as other vehicles, rates on credit card debt, are lower, and there are often, shorter – term, promotions, offering deals! However, since, most of these are variable, and based, on some index, etc, what happens, when there is an increase, in this?

4. Business borrowing: Another area affected, is business cost of borrowing! Presently, they have had access, to relatively, cheap – money, which helps in reducing the costs of borrowing, overall operations, purchasing inventory, etc. But, what happens, when this, ticks – up?

5. Impacts on stock market prices: For some time, because bonds have paid so little, in terms of dividends, etc, many have considered, the stock market, the only game, in – town! In addition, many corporations, have seemed, better – off, than they probably are, and we have witnessed, a higher, ratio of prices to profits, than in the past! How long will this last? How high can it go?

Many factors impact these issues, especially: actual and/ or, perceived inflation; consumer confidence; politics/ government actions/ the Federal Reserve, etc. The more you know, and understand, hopefully, the better – prepared, you will be!