ICICI Pru Guaranteed Wealth Protector (ULIP)-Is it really win win plan?

ICICI Pru Guaranteed Wealth Protector planICICI Pru Guaranteed Wealth Protector (ULIP)-Is it really win win plan?

Are you seeing ICICI Pru Life Guaranteed Wealth Protector – Win win plan on advertisement hoardings on the road side? FM Radio keeps buzzing about this plan several times in a day. Are you wondering what is this win-win plan advertisement appearing major financial websites? This ULIP plan is offered by ICICI Pru life named Guaranteed Wealth Protector indicates that it is win win to have equity linked returns and also capital protection. ULIP schemes issued earlier have been cheating investors by charging high allocation and agent commissions. Does this ICICI Pru life guaranteed wealth protector is different from earlier ULIP Plans? Is it really win win plan ?

About ICICI Pru Guaranteed Wealth Protector ULIP

This is a Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) indicates that it would protect capital and would provide your assured benefit of 101% of premiums paid. Generally, all ULIP’s fund value would get reduced to the extent of commissions paid to agents + premium allocation charges, etc., Hence ULIP holders fund value shows very less compared to what they invested for a moment ignore the returns. This plan indicates that it provides 101% of assured benefit and investors are getting tempted to invest in this.

Also Read: Top Term Insurance Plans in India

Important Highlights of ICICI Pru Guaranteed Wealth Protector plan

  • It offers assured benefits
  • Option to pay for a single premium or premiums for 5 years
  • Loyalty additions and wealth booster features where a sum is added to your fund value
  • Like any other regular insurance plan, you would get tax benefits.

Features of this ICICI Guaranteed Wealthy Protector plan

ICICI Pru Guaranteed Wealth Protector plan-Features

*Snapshot from Brochure

What are the objectives or strategy of this insurance plan?

Your money would be invested in life growth fund or life secure fund, which depends on your age

ICICI Pru Guaranteed Wealth Protector plan-Objectives

*Snapshot from Brochure

Benefits under this insurance plan

1) Maturity benefit: This would be maximum of

        Fund value, including loyalty additions and wealth booster or

        101% of single premium (one pay) or 101% of the sum of all premiums paid (5 pay)

2) Loyalty additions: Loyalty addition, units are added at the end of the policy year from the 6th year onwards. This would be 0.25% of average fund in last 8 quarters.

3) Wealth booster: Extra units would be added at the end of the 10th policy year which would be 1.50% in the case of one pay and 3.25% in case of 5 pay.

4) Dealth Benefit: On dealth of the insured, nominee would get Sum Assured as indicated in above table.

Coming to various deductions and allocation charges in this insurance plan

  • Policy admin charges = 2.52% per annum during premium payment term and 1.20% after that. For One pay it is Rs 720 per annum for 5 years.
  • Fund management charge of 1.35% per annum + 0.50% is adjusted in NAV for investment guarantee
  • Mortality charges = Rs 1.52 to Rs 14 per every Rs 1,000 sum assured

Illustration with an example

  • 35 years – Rs 100,000 single premium – One pay
  • Sum Assured = 1.25 x premium = Rs 1.25 x 100,000 = Rs 125,000
  • Assured benefit would be = 101% of premium = Rs 101,000
  • Maturity amount @ 4% returns – Rs 113,853 and 8% = Rs 167,243
  • Loyalty addition = 0.25% from 6th year to 10th year = 1.25% in total. This would depend on fund value
  • Wealth booster – 1.50% at the end of the 10th year.
  • Total additions would be 2.75% (approx)

Positive factors of ICICI Guaranteed Wealthy Protector plan

  • Provides assured benefit of 101% of premiums paid.
  • Loyalty additions of 0.25% of average fund value every year from 6th year onwards
  • Wealth booster package which adds 1.50% (single pay) or 3.5% (5 pay) of fund value at the end of the policy term

Also Read: Best Mediclaim Plan to buy in India

Some of the Negative factors of ICICI Guaranteed Wealthy Protector plan

  • You cannot surrender the policy within 5 year policy term. If you want to surrender the policy within 5 years, the fund value would go to discontinued fund account and you would get amount after 5 years completion. During such discontinuance period you would get 4% annualized interest.
  • Additions from loyalty additions and wealth booster would get offset to some extent of deductions. Net summary is deductions are higher than additions.
  • Like any other ULIP, even this has several deductions like mortality charges, allocation charges, fund management fees etc., which are high and makes this plan unattractive.

Download Brochure of ICICI Pru life guaranteed wealth protector plan

Conclusion: ICICI Pru life guaranteed Capital Protector ULIP win win plan is not a win win in reality. Though it offers several benefits all such benefits are adjusted with the charges which this plan deducts. However, considering earlier ULIP plans where your investment amount is being reduced, this plan at least protects to that extent where it offers 101% assured benefit. But I do not see any reason why I need to invest my money and think of protection of the money. Rather, I consider the term insurance plan and invest balance money in bank FD and sit and relax rather investing in this and worrying about it.

Readers, have you got tempted and invested in this plan ? What do you say about this plan. I would love to hear your views on this.

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Suresh
ICICI Pru Guaranteed Wealth Protector (ULIP)

Suresh KP

98 comments

  1. Hi Sir,

    Thanks for the details.

    ICICI associates convinced me to choose this Policy since it giving more returns.

    Have invested 50k on Dec’2014 for 5 years and maturity period is ten years.

    Can you please suggest if it gives good returns ? or Suggesting me to cancel and Invest it in FD. Please advise me on this

  2. Thank you Suresh .I have already invested 1 lac last year and now i have to pay this year premium. So i think better to come out it. But as you said my money will be blocked for 5 yrs.

  3. Hi Suresh ,

    Thanks a lot for this much detail analysis 🙂 ICICI bank manager convinced me 2 days back to invest on this plan and I did so with a 40K premium anually with a payment term of 5 years without even realizing its an ULIP !!! They never told me that !!! Neither was I told about all the charges associated with this. After going through your site I understood the mistake I have made. Today I cancelled the policy and invested 40K in FD. Thanks a lot for your help again. These private banks are just duping their customers. This is a very bad situation for all.

  4. An eye opening article about the ULIPs. I was about to invest in this plan but now would rather invest in FDs. Thanks Suresh.

  5. Recently we had a seminar in our co. on Investment by ICICI persons & told about various ideas to save. I am attracted to Wealth builder 2 (Maximiser 5). Pls suggest is it good to get good benefits?

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