Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima
Can the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan truly help you build long-term wealth, or do its charges and conditions limit its investment potential?
Does the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan offer the right balance between market-linked growth and life protection, or are there better alternatives available?
Is the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan a smart choice for achieving your financial goals, or would separating insurance and investment offer greater flexibility?
In this article, we explore the key features of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima, examine how the plan works, and assess whether it can effectively support your long-term financial goals. More importantly, we look at how a well-structured investment strategy can help you pursue wealth creation and financial protection more effectively.
What is the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima?
What are the features of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima?
Who is eligible for the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima?
What are the benefits of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima?
What are the investment strategies and fund options in the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima?
What are the charges of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima?
Grace Period, Discontinuance and Revival of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima
Free Look Period for the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima
Surrendering the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima
What are the advantages of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima?
What are the disadvantages of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima?
Research Methodology of Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima
Benefit Illustration – IRR Analysis of Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima
Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Vs. Other Investments
Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Vs. Pure-Term + PPF/Equity Mutual Fund
Final Verdict on the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima
Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima is a Unit-Linked Non-Participating Individual Life Insurance Savings Plan.
Combining the dual advantage of market-linked growth opportunities and comprehensive insurance cover, this plan offers flexibility, transparency, and value through its benefits.
| Parameter | Minimum | Maximum |
| Entry Age | 3 months | 60 years |
| Maturity Age | 18 years | 75 years |
| Policy Term | 10 years (when the sum assured multiple is between 10 – 14) | 40 years, subject to maximum maturity age |
| 15 years (when the sum assured multiple is between 15 – 20) | ||
| Premium | Annual Mode: ₹36,000 | No limit, subject to Board-approved underwriting Policy. |
| Annual Mode: ₹18000 | ||
| Half-Yearly Mode: ₹9000 | ||
| Quarterly Mode: ₹4,500 | ||
| Monthly Mode: ₹2,250Single Premium: ₹50,000 | ||
| Premium Pay Term | Single Pay | |
| Limited Pay: 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 years | ||
| Regular Pay: Premium payment term is the same as the policy term. | ||
| Top-up Premium | ₹ 5,000 | No limit, subject to Board-approved underwriting Policy. |
| Premium Payment Mode | Monthly, Quarterly, Half-Yearly & Annual. | |
| Base Sum Assured | 10 times the Annualised Premium | 20 times the Annualised Premium, subject to Board-approved Underwriting Policy |
| Top-up Sum Assured | 1.25 times the Top-up Premium | |
In case of death of the life assured during the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan policy term, provided the policy is in force as on the date of death, the company will pay the claimant the sum of base death benefit and top-up death benefit (if any), (as applicable on the date of intimation of the death of the life assured):
The base death benefit is the higher of:
where Base sum assured on death is the higher of
Top-up death benefit is the higher of Top-Up Sum Assured and Top-Up Fund Value
On survival of the life assured till the end of the policy term, provided all the premiums are paid, and the policy is in force, Total Fund Value would be paid as a lump sum amount.
The Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan policyholder will also have an option to receive the maturity benefit as a systematic payout for a maximum of five years under the settlement option
Total Fund Value = Base Fund Value + Top-up Fund Value
Return of Mortality Charges:
An amount equal to total of mortality charges (including the extra mortality charges, if any) which were deducted from the fund during the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan policy term will be added back to the Base Fund Value and Top-up Fund Value (if any) starting from end of 15 policy year, provided all due premiums have been received and policy is in force.
Return of Premium Allocation Charges (if applicable):
An amount equal to 2.5 times the total of premium allocation charges deducted during the policy term will be added back to the Base Fund value at the end of the 15th policy year in the same proportion as the value of the total units held in each fund at the time of allocation, provided all the due premiums have been received.
Loyalty Additions:
The policyholder will receive loyalty units which will be added at the end of the 10th policy year and every 5th policy year thereafter till maturity.
Loyalty units are expressed as a percentage of the average of the preceding 36 months’ fund value and will be added to the Base Fund Value on the policy anniversary.
You have the option to choose from two portfolio strategies:
A. Self-Managed Portfolio Strategy
Under this portfolio strategy, you have the option to allocate your premium in any of the nine segregated funds and tailor your investment approach to meet your financial objectives.
The asset allocation under each segregated fund is provided in the table below.
You can choose one or more funds and, in any proportion (as %, in whole numbers) within the Self-managed Portfolio Strategy. You will have to specify the premium allocation in each fund chosen.
| S.no | Fund Name | Asset Allocation | Risk Profile | ||
| Equities | Fixed Interest Securities | Money Market Instruments | |||
| 1 | Blue Chip Equity Fund | 80-100% | 0% | 0-20% | High |
| 2 | Accelerator Fund | 80-100% | 0% | 0-20% | High |
| 3 | Opportunity Fund | 80-100% | 0% | 0-20% | High |
| 4 | Stable Fund | 20-80% | 20-80% | Moderate | |
| 5 | Secure Fund | 0% | 60-100% | 0-40% | Low |
| 6 | Debt Fund | 0% | 60-100% | 0-40% | Moderate |
| 7 | Flexi Cap Fund | 65-100% | 0% | 0-35% | Very High |
| 8 | Liquid Fund | 0% | 0% | 100% | Low |
| 9 | Mid Cap Fund | 80-100% | 0-20% | 0-20% | Very High |
B. Lifestyle Portfolio Strategy
The Lifestyle Portfolio Strategy addresses the same by providing you with the right mix between Equity and Debt, based on the duration of your investment.
This helps you automatically decrease your exposure to Equity and increase your exposure to Debt as your age increases and your policy nears maturity.
Under this strategy, depending on the duration of your Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan policy, the premium paid, subject to deduction of charges, if any, will be allocated between the 3 investment funds as per a pre-defined strategy as mentioned in the table below.
| Allocation in various Funds | |||
| Years to Maturity | Secure Fund | Debt Fund | Blue Chip Equity Fund |
| 40 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| 39 to 11 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| 10 | 0% | 10% | 90% |
| 9 | 0% | 20% | 80% |
| 8 | 0% | 30% | 70% |
| 7 | 0% | 40% | 60% |
| 6 | 0% | 50% | 50% |
| 5 | 0% | 60% | 40% |
| 4 | 0% | 70% | 30% |
| 3 | 10% | 70% | 20% |
| 2 | 30% | 60% | 10% |
| 1 | 40% | 60% | 0% |
i. Premium Allocation Charge
| Premium Payment Frequency | 1st policy year | 2nd policy year | 3rd policy year | 4th policy year | 5th policy year | 6th year onwards |
| Annual | 9% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 4% | Nil |
| Other than Annual | 7% | 5% | 5% | 3% | 3% |
For Single Premium: 4%
For Top-up Premium: 2%
For female lives, a discount of 0.5% on the Premium Allocation Charge on the base Premium shall be applicable
ii. Fund Management Charge
| S.no | Fund Name | FMC |
| 1 | Blue Chip Equity Fund | 1% |
| 2 | Accelerator Fund | 1.10% |
| 3 | Opportunity Fund | 1.35% |
| 4 | Stable Fund | 1.35% |
| 5 | Secure Fund | 1.35% |
| 6 | Debt Fund | 1.35% |
| 7 | Flexi Cap Fund | 1.35% |
| 8 | Liquid Fund | 0.50% |
| 9 | Mid Cap Fund | 1.35% |
| Discontinued Fund | 0.50% |
iii. Policy Administration Charge
| Policy Year | 01 to 05 | 06 to 10 | 21 & above |
| Regular/ Limited Pay | 0.10%p.m. | 0.20%p.m. | Nil |
| Single Pay | 0.05%p.m. | Nil | |
iv. Mortality Charge
This charge is deducted by cancellation of units at the prevailing Unit Price at the beginning of every policy month as 1/12th of the Annual Mortality Charge.
It will depend on your age and the sum at risk, which is the base death benefit in excess of the Base Fund Value
v. Discontinuance/Surrender Charge
This charge will depend on the year in which the policy was discontinued. This charge is deducted by cancellation of Units at the prevailing Unit Price.
Inference from the charge: These charges are deducted throughout the policy term, reducing the amount available for investment and, consequently, the potential for compounding. Although the plan provides for the return of certain charges, this does not fully compensate for the time value of money—the amount returned later may have significantly less value than if it had remained invested from the beginning.
Over the long term, even seemingly small deductions can have a substantial impact on the accumulated fund value.
The effect of lower invested amounts, combined with the loss of compounding on those deductions, can ultimately reduce the investor’s effective returns.
Grace Period
Grace period is a period of 15 days for monthly premium payment frequency and 30 days for all other frequencies, from the due date for payment of policy premium.
Discontinuance
Discontinuance of Premium During Lock-In Period of the Policy: transfer the Total Fund Value by creation of units into the Discontinuance Policy Fund after deducting applicable discontinuance/surrender charges. The risk cover and rider cover, if any, will terminate on the date of discontinuance. No further charges will be levied by us other than the fund management charge applicable to the Discontinuance Policy Fund. At the end of the lock-in period, the proceeds of the Discontinuance Policy Fund shall be paid to the policyholder, and the policy shall terminate.
Discontinuance of Premium After Lock-In Period of the Policy: The policy will be converted into a reduced paid-up policy with the paid-up sum assured, i.e. (original sum assured) multiplied by a ratio of the total period for which premiums have already been paid to the maximum period for which premiums were originally payable.
Revival
You can revive the lapsed or paid-up policy within 3 consecutive years from the due date of the first unpaid premium and before the expiry of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan policy term.
Free Look means a period of thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the policy to review the terms and conditions of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan policy, where if you disagree with any of the terms and conditions, you have the option to return the policy stating the reasons for objection.
If the policy is surrendered during the Lock-in Period: The Total Fund Value less the Discontinuance/ Surrender Charge will be transferred to the Discontinuance Policy Fund. Proceeds of the Discontinuance Policy Fund will be payable to the policyholder as surrender value at the end of the lock-in period.
If the policy is surrendered after the completion of the Lock-in Period: The Surrender Value payable to the policyholder will be the Total Fund Value as on the date of surrender
Evaluating the potential returns is an essential step when considering any market-linked insurance product. This section examines the investment performance of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan based on the illustrations provided in the policy brochure.
The objective is to understand the potential outcomes and assess how the plan compares with alternative investment avenues.
Consider a 35-year-old male who purchases the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan with a sum assured of ₹25 lakh.
The policy term is 25 years, with a premium-paying term of 15 years and an annual premium of ₹2.5 lakh.
| Male | 35 years |
| Sum Assured | ₹ 25,00,000 |
| Policy Term | 25 years |
| Premium Paying Term | 15 years |
| Annualised Premium | ₹ 2,50,000 |
If the premiums are paid as scheduled, the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan policyholder receives the accumulated fund value at maturity.
The brochure illustrates two assumed investment return scenarios—4% p.a. and 8% p.a. These are illustrative rates and are not guaranteed returns.
| At 4% p.a. | At 8% p.a. | ||||
| Age | Year | Annualised premium / Maturity benefit | Death benefit | Annualised premium / Maturity benefit | Death benefit |
| 35 | 1 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 36 | 2 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 37 | 3 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 38 | 4 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 39 | 5 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 40 | 6 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 41 | 7 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 42 | 8 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 43 | 9 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 44 | 10 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 45 | 11 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 46 | 12 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 47 | 13 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 48 | 14 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 49 | 15 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 50 | 16 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 51 | 17 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 52 | 18 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 53 | 19 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 54 | 20 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 55 | 21 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 56 | 22 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 57 | 23 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 58 | 24 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 59 | 25 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 60 | 62,59,198 | 1,25,42,141 | |||
| IRR | 2.85% | 6.71% | |||
At an assumed return of 4% p.a., the fund value at maturity is ₹62.59 lakh, translating into an IRR of approximately 2.85% as per the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan maturity calculator.
At an assumed return of 8% p.a., the fund value increases to ₹1.25 crore, resulting in an IRR of approximately 6.71% as per the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan maturity calculator.
While the 8% scenario produces a higher maturity value, the corresponding IRR remains relatively modest for a long-term market-linked investment.
When evaluating such a product, investors should consider whether the potential return adequately compensates for the investment risk, charges, and long-term commitment involved.
Inflation is another important consideration, as the purchasing power of the maturity proceeds will be lower after 25 years.
The ₹25 lakh sum assured also needs careful consideration from a financial-planning perspective.
For most families, adequate life insurance should be determined based on income replacement, outstanding liabilities, financial goals, and the family’s future financial requirements rather than being linked primarily to the investment amount.
Therefore, the analysis should not focus only on the projected maturity value. Charges, fund performance, liquidity, transparency, life cover, and the opportunity cost of investing through an insurance wrapper are equally important when assessing the plan’s suitability as a long-term wealth-creation vehicle.
For a market-linked product with a long investment horizon, evaluating whether the potential returns adequately compensate for the associated risks, charges, and loss of liquidity is essential.
The earlier illustration of the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan provides a useful starting point. To put these numbers into perspective, let us compare the plan with alternative strategies using the same investment horizon and life-cover requirement.
The Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan provides a ₹25 lakh sum assured along with market-linked investment exposure.
For a like-for-like comparison, consider a pure term insurance policy with a ₹25 lakh sum assured, costing ₹18,100 annually for a 25-year policy term with a 10-year premium-paying term.
This leaves ₹2,31,900 per year from the ₹2.5 lakh annual budget available for investment.
| Pure Term Life Insurance Policy | |
| Sum Assured | ₹ 25,00,000 |
| Policy Term | 25 years |
| Premium Paying Term | 10 years |
| Annualised Premium | ₹ 18,100 |
| Investment | ₹ 2,31,900 |
| Term Insurance + PPF | Term insurance + Equity Mutual Fund | ||||
| Age | Year | Term Insurance premium + PPF | Death benefit | Term Insurance premium + Equity Mutual Fund | Death benefit |
| 35 | 1 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 36 | 2 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 37 | 3 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 38 | 4 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 39 | 5 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 40 | 6 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 41 | 7 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 42 | 8 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 43 | 9 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 44 | 10 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 45 | 11 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 46 | 12 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 47 | 13 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 48 | 14 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 49 | 15 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 | -2,50,000 | 25,00,000 |
| 50 | 16 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 51 | 17 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 52 | 18 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 53 | 19 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 54 | 20 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 55 | 21 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 56 | 22 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 57 | 23 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 58 | 24 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 59 | 25 | 0 | 25,00,000 | 0 | 25,00,000 |
| 60 | 1,27,10,215 | 2,71,25,299 | |||
| IRR | 6.78% | 11.00% | |||
Low-Risk Strategy – PPF
One alternative is to invest the surplus in the Public Provident Fund (PPF), a government-backed fixed-income savings scheme.
However, there is an important limitation to this comparison. The annual PPF contribution is capped at ₹1.5 lakh, whereas the surplus available for investment in this illustration is ₹2,31,900.
Therefore, investing the entire surplus in PPF is not possible under the prevailing contribution limit. The above calculation is presented purely as a comparison of potential outcomes.
Even with this limitation, the illustration shows how a low-risk debt-oriented avenue can produce a maturity value comparable to the Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima’s 8% assumed-return scenario, while offering a different risk and cost structure.
Higher-Risk Strategy – Equity Mutual Fund
For investors who have a higher risk tolerance and a long investment horizon, equity mutual funds provide another alternative.
Based on the illustration:
| Equity Mutual Fund Tax Calculation | |
| Maturity value after 25 years | 3,04,72,628 |
| Purchase price | 35,69,000 |
| Long-Term Capital Gains | 2,69,03,628 |
| Exemption limit | 1,25,000 |
| Taxable LTCG | 2,67,78,628 |
| Tax paid on LTCG | 33,47,328 |
| Maturity value after tax | 2,71,25,299 |
Unlike a ULIP, an equity mutual fund does not provide life insurance by itself. Therefore, the term insurance component is kept separate in this comparison.
This approach allows the investor to choose the level of life cover independently while investing the remaining amount according to their risk profile and financial goals.
Looking Beyond the Maturity Value
The comparison highlights an important principle in financial planning: the maturity value alone should not determine whether an investment product is suitable.
The Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan combines insurance and market-linked investment in a single product. An alternative approach is to separate these two requirements—use term insurance for life protection and select an investment avenue based on the investor’s risk profile, time horizon, and financial goals.
This separation can provide greater flexibility in managing the investment portfolio and evaluating the cost and performance of each component independently.
Ultimately, the suitability of any strategy depends on the investor’s financial objectives, risk tolerance, liquidity requirements, and the specific terms of the products being compared.
The Bandhan Life iInvest Ultima Plan is a ULIP that combines life insurance with market-linked investments, offering multiple fund choices and investment strategies.
While the structure provides flexibility, the various charges reduce the amount available for investment and can affect long-term wealth creation.
Although the plan provides for the return of certain charges at specified intervals, the investment opportunity lost during the initial years also affects the benefit of compounding over time.
When both protection and investment are considered together, the plan raises concerns on two important fronts. The life cover may not be sufficient to meet the financial protection needs of a family, while the illustrated investment returns may not adequately compensate for the market risk and costs associated with the product.
The plan also involves several charges that can affect the overall investment outcome. More importantly, the risk–return trade-off deserves careful evaluation and it also has a high agent commission.
Investors generally take higher market risk with the expectation of generating higher long-term returns.
Therefore, when a market-linked product carries investment risk and costs, its potential returns should be assessed against the alternatives available to the investor.
For life protection, separating insurance from investment can make the financial strategy easier to evaluate and manage.
A pure-term insurance policy can provide life cover at a relatively lower cost, while the remaining investable surplus can be allocated across suitable investment avenues based on the investor’s goals, time horizon, liquidity requirements, and risk tolerance.
Ultimately, choosing an investment product should go beyond looking at projected maturity values. Charges, effective returns, life cover, liquidity, transparency, taxation, and suitability should all be considered before making a long-term commitment.
Do Quora, Facebook, and Twitter have the final say when it comes to financial advice?
A Certified Financial Planner (CFP) can help evaluate these factors in the context of an individual’s financial goals and risk profile, enabling a more structured and goal-oriented financial plan.
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