5 Ways to Save Money for Salaried Professionals

The approach of a salaried individual to save money is different from that of a self-employed or businessman because salaried professionals have fixed monthly income, unlike the latter. Due to this, they have to manage savings and investment with their expenditure with a stipulated income. The most effective way to save money is by investing. For a stable and secured future, the most important thing to take care of is – our finances. A lot of people rely on saving plans, while some people choose to invest money in government saving schemes. Nevertheless, the crux is – saving money is the best way to create a financial cushion against the unexpected economical blows.

5 Smart Ways a Salaried Professional can Save Money

Salaried individuals need to consider time, risk, income growth, and return expectations as per their income while searching for the best saving plan in India. One of the biggest challenges for these people is to control their spending. The more control on spending, the more money can be saved that will eventually benefit you in the future.

Here are five smart ways a salaried professional can save money:

1. By Investing in ULIPS

Unit linked Insurance Plans (ULIPS) is a type of life insurance plan that provides safety of insurance protection with the opportunity of wealth generation. A part of the investment goes towards life cover, and the rest is invested in a fund that further funded in stock or bonds. It is considered as one of the most popular investment plan in India for a person to enter the stock market with the additional benefits of life cover.

Benefits of Investing in ULIPs

• Life Cover

  ULIPs provide the benefit of a life cover coupled with investment. The life cover will benefit the family of the policyholder in case of their untimely death.

• Income Tax Benefits

  A salaried individual who wants a life cover with additional tax benefits may consider investing in ULIPs. Under Section 80C, the premium paid towards a ULIP is eligible for a tax deduction. Furthermore, the returns out of the policy on maturity are exempt from income tax under Section 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act.

• Long-term Goal Benefits

  ULIP is a good investment option to save money for financing long-term goals like buying a house, a new car, marriage, etc. The best returns will be generated if you choose a longer policy period.

• Flexibility of a Portfolio Switch

  ULIPs are usually designed in a way that allows the policyholder to switch portfolio between debt and equity-based on risk and knowledge of the performance of the market.

2. Endowment Plans

An endowment plan is a regular money-saving plan that helps build a corpus and give guaranteed maturity benefits along with bonuses. It is a kind of insurance plan designed to provide life coverage protection and the chance to grow wealth through systematic savings. It is one of the saving options available for people looking to invest in insurance cover as well as investment and savings plans in India.

Benefits of Endowment Plans

• Better Returns

  It offers better returns on investment as compared to fixed deposits or simple life insurance policies.

• Tax Benefits

  This plan is a good tax-saving option. Under Income Tax Act, Section 80C, endowment plans have tax benefits on the annual premium, and under Section 10(10D), the maturity claims of endowment plans are completely tax-free.

• Accidental Riders

  Endowment plans provide the option to add accidental riders that can further enhance the cover. You have to pay a marginal premium to opt for riders. There are various reasons to add a rider to your life insurance policy. And one of them is – it gets more optimized to suit your needs.

• Short-period Premiums

  These plans are ideal if one wants to pay a premium for a short-period and wants to benefit from the plan over the policy term.

• Liquidity

  These plans are liquid. In case the policyholder survives the policy term then, the sum assured amount and other bonuses accumulated during the term period are paid. And if the policyholder passes away during the policy term, then the death benefits are paid to the nominees. The benefits include sum assured and additional vested bonus.

3. Money-back Plans

Money-back plans are very popular insurance policies as they offer dual benefit of insurance and redemption of money at regular intervals. These plans are mostly opted by individuals who require money at certain intervals of life to meet short-term as well as long-term financial requirements.

Money-back plans are very popular insurance policies as they offer dual benefit of insurance and redemption of money at regular intervals. These plans are mostly opted by individuals who require money at certain intervals of life to meet short-term as well as long-term financial requirements.

Benefits of Money-back Plans

• Protected Savings

  The returns in money back plans are guaranteed. Thus, savings in this plan remains safe as the premiums paid are not linked with the ups and downs of capital markets that are uncertain.

• Life Insurance

  This money-saving plan also provides life insurance cover. In case of death of the policyholder, the nominees get the sum assured.

• Tax Savings Benefits

  Under Section 80C, all life insurance premiums under the money-back policy are eligible for tax deduction up to a specified limit, as long as the premium is less than 10% of the sum assured. The maturity amount is exempted from tax deduction at source as long as the sum assured is more than five times the premium paid for the policy.

• Secured Investment

  Money-back plan is an ideal investment option. This plan safeguards your investment against the risks.

4. Monthly Income Plan

A monthly income plan (MIP) is a type of mutual fund strategy that generates stable income through dividend and interest cash flow. The plan aims to provide a steady stream of income that is suitable to retired persons or senior citizens who do not have other substantial sources of monthly income. However, the monthly income plan is prone to market risks, and the investor can expect a seedy stream of income when the market is strong but could face downstream as well.

Benefits of Monthly Income Plan

• Retirement Corpus

  The regular stream of monthly income can be used to supplement your earnings, which will help you have a worry-free retirement life.

• Build a Legacy

  It is an insurance cum protection plan that offers a long-term investment opportunity to help you build a legacy for your child.

• Loan Facility

  You can opt for loan facility to help you manage any contingency.

• Maturity Benefits

  On survival till maturity, the policyholder will receive added annual bonus along with final bonus (if any).

5. PPF/EPF

PPF (Public Provident Fund) is a government scheme meant for both salaried and self-employed individuals. It offers financial security, especially during your retirement days.

EPF (Employee Provident Fund) is a scheme designed exclusively for salaried professionals. Under this scheme, the employee and employer contribute 12% (or the minimum of Rs. 780) of the salary amount every month. Both PPF and EPF are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80C. This plan is a must-have for salaried professionals.

Benefits of PPF/EPF Schemes

• Tax Benefits

  Returns earned from a PPF account are tax exempted and investments in EPF account qualifies for tax deduction under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.

• Acts as Retirement Savings

  These saving schemes can help you build a retirement corpus right when you start earning. Having solid savings for the retirement days is one of the most important financial tools.

• Return on Investment

  Both the saving schemes offer returns on investment. The interest rate on the investment made may vary between the schemes.

A salaried professional needs to save money to achieve short-term and long-term financial goals while keeping up with the evolving needs. Keeping the risks in mind, one should find the best money saving plan that will suit their financial circumstances. Weigh the pros and cons of all the saving plans and schemes before investing your money. And it is always considered wise to not put all the eggs in one basket. Hence, create a diverse investment portfolio to enjoy stable returns on your investment while also creating a saving fund.