Short-term Investment Plans: Overview

Short-term investment plans are financial instruments that help you invest your money for a short period. By short period we mean it’s typically 1 month to 8 years. Various investment instruments are available in the market to help you generate returns for a brief tenure. There are various benefits of investing in a short-term investment plan including:

• Lower risk as policy tenure is short,
• Ease of management,
• Tax-benefits,
• Aligned with your short-term goals,
• Helps in the diversification of funds,
• Liquidity as it is easy to access funds, etc.

This article provides you with complete information about various short-term instruments, benefits, and factors to consider when investing in short-term investment options, etc.

Best Short-term Investment Options

There are various instruments in which you can invest your money for a short period. Here are some of the famous short-term assets in which you can invest your money:

1. Short-term Investment Plans

   Short-term investment plans are a financial instrument that offers you dual benefits- life coverage and maturity benefits. The premiums paid by you are invested in a life cover and market-linked funds that generate returns for you. You can use these returns to accomplish your financial goals.

   Name of the Plan	Entry Age	Maximum Maturity Age	Policy Term	Maturity Amount
   Max Life Smart Wealth Plan	Min- 91 days Max- 65 years	85 years	6 to 20 years	Rs 25,25,720
   ICICI Prudential Gift-Lump Sum	Min- 18 years Max- 60 years	80 years	5 to 20 years	Rs 23,40,571
   ICICI Prudential Gift-Long term	Min- 0 years Max- 60 years	101 years	8 to 14 years	Rs 22,90,921
   ICICI Pru Guaranteed Income For Tomorrow	Min- 0 years Max- 60 years	101 years	8 to 14 years	Rs 27,40,344
   IndiaFirst Life Money Balance Plan	Min- 5 years Max- 18 years	75 years	5 to 70 years	Rs 14,23,175

   * The above premiums are for a 30-year-old male for a monthly premium of Rs 1 lakh and premium payment term of 10 years with total premiums of Rs 10 lakhs.

2. Short-term Investment Plans for 3 Months

   You can invest your money in certain instruments defined below for a 3-month timeframe.

   • Short-term fixed deposits

     You can invest your money in short-term fixed deposits for a period starting from 7 days. These FDs offer you an interest rate of 5-7% annually.

   • Treasury securities

     These are treasury bills issued at par but sold at premium prices that help you earn interest. They carry a policy tenure of 91 days to 365 days carrying an interest rate of 5-8% annually.

   • Saving accounts

     You can invest your money in savings accounts. These are safe deposits with lower interest rates ranging from 1 to 3% annually.

3. Short-term Investment Plans for 6 Months

   You can invest your money in certain instruments defined below for a 6-month timeframe.

   • Stock market

     You can invest your money in equities in the stock market for 6 months. The rate of interest depends on the market conditions and volatility.

   • Gold/ silver instruments

     You can invest your funds in gold/ silver instruments. The average returns on gold/ silver instruments range from 5 to 8% annually.

   • Debt instruments

     Debt instruments invest your money in debt funds for 6 months to your choice. Again the interest rate is not fixed and it may vary.

4. Short-term Investment Plans for 1 Year

   You can invest your money in certain instruments defined below for a 1-year timeframe.

   • Post-office deposits

     You can invest your money in post-office deposits. It is a safe instrument that provides an annual interest rate of 6 to 8%.

   • Mutual funds

     Mutual funds help you grow your funds over time. The returns offered are subjected to market risk. On an average, it offers a return rate of 10 to 12%.

   • Recurring deposits

     A recurring deposit allows you to save money by making regular deposits over a period.

How Does a Short-Term Investment Plan Work?

Let’s understand how a short-term investment plan works with a simple premium illustration.

Problem- Mr. Sharma was looking for a short-term investment plan (for 5 years) that offers him life coverage and market-linked returns on his money to accomplish his short-term goals.

Solution- Mr. Sharma consulted his financial advisor who advised him to invest in a short-term investment plan. He bought ICICI Prudential Gift-Lump Sum which offers him life coverage along with market-linked returns.

Let’s understand how the ICICI Prudential Gift-Lump Sum works for him.

Takeaways- Once the policy matures Mr. Sharma would receive a maturity amount of Rs 7,23,000 that he can use to fulfill his future financial goals. In case of Mr. Sharma’s demise during the policy tenure, his child would get death benefits of Rs 10 lakhs.

Benefits of Short-term Investment Plans

There are numerous benefits of investing your money in short-term plans. Let’s understand these benefits in more detail:

Factors to Consider Before Investing in a Short-term Investment Plan

You have to consider certain factors before investing in a short-term investment plan:

Conclusion

Investing in short-term investment plans can help you fulfill your short-term financial goals. You should not invest all your money in a single asset. Make sure to diversify your portfolio so that your returns can be maximized and risk can be minimized.

If you are still confused about which short-term investment plan is ideal for you then you can contact us at PolicyX.com. One of our insurance experts will reach you shortly and help you choose the right investment plan that aligns with your requirements.