For an insurance business to go paperless is remarkable. For most people, the word insurance brings to mind images of long forms to be filled out, and endless photocopies to be submitted. We changed that at IndiaFirst Life by going paperless – living up to our CustomerFirst promise – much to our customers’ delight and convenience. It helps that IndiaFirst Life Insurance was born digital. From day one (back in 2009), we've considered technology as an enabler in our journey of being CustomerFirst. Our investment in technology has not just allowed us to be highly competitive in the market, it has ..read more

Life is a journey filled with dreams and responsibilities or what we call the certainties of life - buying a home, educating our children, planning for retirement, and securing our family's future. Protecting these dreams is important. In the realm of financial products, non-participating or guaranteed returns insurance plans have emerged as a trusted companion that offers reliability and dependability.  What are guaranteed returns plans? Guaranteed returns insurance plans are designed to combine the benefits of traditional insurance policies and the assurance of certain returns. They sta ..read more

Imagine you're planning the perfect road trip. You've got your route mapped out, your playlist  set, and you've even packed your favorite snacks. But halfway through, you realize you forgot to refuel your car. Stranded miles away from the nearest gas station, all your planning and investment for the trip is laid to waste. This is exactly what happens when you let your insurance policy lapse. You invest in insurance to secure your family’s future, but a failure to renew it – or a lapse in persistency -- can jeopardize everything.  The Importance of Persistency Persistency is more than ..read more

If you’re eligible to pay income tax, you can easily file your returns yourself. The government has simplified the process by collecting taxes through three ways – TDS, advance tax, and self-assessment tax. TDS or Tax Deducted at Source refers to a small percentage of your income tax that gets deducted from income you receive from salary, rent, or fees. Advance tax is income tax that you pay in advance, in smaller quarterly instalments throughout the year. Self-assessment tax is the pending balance amount to be paid after TDS and advance tax payments. Let us understand this is in detail. What ..read more

Imagine this! You’ve got a huge lumpsum amount lying in your bank – the result of years of saving. You have three choices:  1) Leave it in the account and let it grow at a low rate of interest.  2) Spend it to fulfil a life goal or aspiration.  3) Invest the lump sum amount to get the benefit of wealth creation and life insurance.  If you’ve selected option 3, congratulations! You’re about to discover the life-changing benefits of single premium policy!  What is single premium policy?  A single premium policy is a life insurance cum savings plan, in which ..read more

We know what GST is. It is the tax we pay when we purchase any goods or services.  Goods and Services Tax (GST) was launched in India on July 1, 2017, with the aim to simplify taxation. The ideology was to have ‘one nation one tax’. It would simplify cascading taxes (service tax, central excise duty, and Value Added Tax (VAT)), for all goods and services, especially if they were produced and sold in different states.    Prior to 2017, insurance attracted 15% service tax. However, as insurance is a financial service, the government-imposed GST on insurance, increasing the in ..read more

Make a list of all the things you want to buy, or do, in life  - from buying the latest smartphone to travelling to the most exotic destinations of the world, and anything else you fancy.   What are you doing to make these aspirations come true? Saving, or investing?  Saving, investing; most people think they’re the same, but definition and execution make them very different.  If you’ve saved for your wish list, chances are you’ll be back to square one once you’ve utilised the funds.   However, if you take those savings, and invest them in in stocks, ULIP, mu ..read more

Life presents so many wonderful opportunities, it would be a waste to let them slip away just because you don’t have money. Your dreams, goals, the aspirations of your family, each of these motivates you to work harder and save more. Yet, often, there is still not enough in the bank.  Here’s the good news! Financial planning can make your money work hard for you, rather than vice versa. Think of it as a GPS for your money – it shows you where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there. It maps your current and future income and expenses, net worth, cash flow, savings, investments ..read more

The festive season has begun in full swing in India, which means many of us are preparing for the next few months of hosting friends & family, making and serving great food, getting the house cleaned, shopping for gifts and much more.   While we’re eagerly awaiting this time to rejuvenate and recharge, for some of us it can also become a time of stress & anxiety. With inconsistent routines, high cholesterol diets, maxed out budgets and erratic sleep schedules – it is easy to get carried away in the festive fervor, so much so that it leaves us feeling even more stressed out th ..read more

Who doesn’t love the festivities? Decorating the home with sparkling lights, twirling and posing in your favourite outfits, lots of lots of selfies, bringing the gang together to create trending Reels, and let’s not forget the HOLIDAYS!   In India, although celebrations happen all year round – the last few months of the year can be particularly hectic and – let’s be frank - quite a burden on the pocket. Gift shopping, sweet preparations, home renovations, the list is long, and the takers many.   So how do you plan for a meaningful festive celebration without having to check ..read more