What is Insurance?
Insurance is a legal agreement between the insured and the insurance provider. According to the clauses of this agreement, the insured individual receives compensation from the insurance provider in the event of loss, injury, or damage under specific conditions. The insurance provider offers this compensation in exchange for set premiums, which may be paid monthly or as a lump sum.
Insurance policies can be broadly categorised into life insurance plans like term plans and non-life insurance policies like car, health, property, and travel insurance.
What is an investment?
Investment is the act of allocating funds to buy different assets and investment products to generate profits. Common investment instruments include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, property, and ETFs. The profits earned may or may not be guaranteed or fixed depending on the investment instrument selected. Since the risk exposure levels vary based on the type of investment instrument in question, you should choose investments that align with your risk appetite and investment objectives.
For instance, if you are a low risk investor, you can opt to invest in fixed deposits or bonds. However, you can consider equity stocks and equity-focused MF if you have a high risk tolerance.
Insurance vs Investment
Parameter
|
Life insurance
|
Investment
|
Meaning
|
A life insurance policy is a legal agreement between the policyholder and the insurance provider, where the latter provides financial compensation in the event of the policyholder’s demise.
|
Investment is the act of allocating funds to purchase various assets with the goal of earning returns on your principal amount.
|
Purpose
|
Life insurance plans offer financial safety to your dependents like parents, spouse, and kids to reduce the fiscal burden in your absence.
|
Investments are aimed at long-term wealth building. They help create a substantial corpus that can be used to fulfil short and long-term goals like planning a vacation, playing for your child’s education, and retirement planning.
|
Risk level
|
Traditional pure life insurance plans have low to no risks.
|
Investments carry different degrees of risk depending on the type of product/asset selected.
|
Returns
|
Life insurance plans do not offer returns as such. These plans offer the sum assured as death benefit and bonuses (if any). Some plans may also include a maturity benefit.
|
If you invest wisely, investments can yield much higher returns. However, return rates vary and may not be guaranteed or fixed.
|
Common types
|
Common types of life insurance plans include term, whole life, endowment, child life, money back, ULIP, and pension plans.
|
Common types of investments include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, real estate, gold, ULIPs, fixed deposits, and PPF.
|
If you are looking for safe investment option, then you can consider investing Bajaj Finance Fixed Deposit. With a top-tier AAA rating from financial agencies like CRISIL and ICRA, they offer one of the highest returns, up to 8.60% p.a.
Conclusion
Both insurance and investment plans are vital pillars of a strong financial plan. The differences between insurance and investment plans simply highlight the fact that each meets a different requirement. While one helps create a financial safety net against uncertainties and avoid expense burdens, the other focuses on generating wealth for the long term. Therefore, deciding between insurance and investment must be based on your goals and requirements.