What Is a ULIP and What Is a Mutual Fund?

A unit linked insurance plan takes each premium, deducts a portion towards life cover and applicable charges, and invests the balance in market-linked funds that the policyholder selects. It carries a five-year lock-in, and life cover runs through the policy term. A mutual fund does one thing, investing, with liquidity and a wide universe of schemes to choose from, and no insurance component. Neither description is a criticism. They are different tools built for different jobs, and many households hold both.

What Does ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan Offer?

Feature Detail
Plan name ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan
UIN 109L100V06
Plan type A unit linked life insurance plan
Plan options Two options: Classic Option and Assured Option
Investment options Four: Smart Option, Systematic Transfer Option, Return Optimiser Option and Self-Managed Option
Fund options 21 segregated funds ranging from 100% debt to 100% equity
Entry age Classic Option: from 30 days, with maximum entry age of 50 years for 5 Pay, 55 years for 6 and 7 Pay and 65 years for 8 Pay and above; Assured Option: from 18 years, with maximum of 45 years for 5 to 8 Pay and 50 years for 9 Pay and above
Maturity age Classic Option: 18 to 85 years depending on premium paying term; Assured Option: 28 to 60 years
Policy term Minimum 10 years, maximum 40 years
Premium paying term 5 to 40 years
Minimum basic premium 40,000 for annual mode, 45,000 for semi-annual and 50,000 for quarterly and monthly modes
Minimum sum assured 4,00,000, with basic sum assured equal to 10 times the annualised premium
Lock-in Five years from inception
Partial withdrawals Permitted after five complete policy years or the life insured attaining age 18, whichever is later; minimum 5,000, not exceeding 25% of the policy fund value at the start of the policy year
Riders available ABSLI Accidental Death Benefit Rider Plus (109A024V01), ABSLI Waiver of Premium Rider (109A039V01), ABSLI Comprehensive Critical Illness Rider (109A041V01), ABSLI Suraksha Term Rider (109A042V01)

How Does the Lock-In Affect Your Planning?

Liquidity is the practical dividing line. Anyone who may need their money within five years should not place it in a ULIP, and no responsible advisor would suggest otherwise. That is what liquid funds, deposits and open-ended mutual funds are for. Where the horizon genuinely runs a decade or more, the five-year lock-in becomes a structural feature rather than a limitation: it supports a disciplined, long-term investment approach through market cycles. After the lock-in, ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan permits partial withdrawals subject to policy terms, so the commitment is not indefinite.

How Are They Taxed?

ULIP premiums may qualify for tax deductions and policy proceeds, including maturity benefits, may be eligible for tax benefits under the applicable provisions of the Income-tax Act, subject to prevailing tax laws, premium thresholds and other prescribed conditions. Mutual fund investments are subject to the tax provisions applicable to such investments. GST is not applicable on individual life insurance premiums. Because tax treatment varies with policy features, premium levels and individual circumstances, investors should consult a qualified tax advisor before deciding.

What Should You Watch Out For?

  1. Do not treat the life cover inside an investment-linked policy as your family’s primary protection. A dedicated term plan such as ABSLI Super Term Plan (UIN 109N153V02) is designed for that role.
  2. Size any long-term commitment against a realistic view of your income, since the product is designed to be held to term.
  3. Read the charges, lock-in and partial withdrawal rules in the policy document before purchasing.
  4. Check the insurer’s published claim settlement and solvency record under the regulator’s disclosure norms.

Which Should You Choose?

The useful question is not which product wins, but which job you are filling. Emergency money and short-horizon goals belong in deposits and liquid funds. Flexible long-term investing suits mutual funds. The portion of long-horizon savings that you are willing to commit for a decade or more, and where you want investment and life cover within a single contract, is where a unit linked plan such as ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan fits. Many households run both, and the sensible outcome is an allocation rather than a winner.

Key Takeaways

  • A ULIP combines life cover with market-linked investment and carries a five-year lock-in.
  • A mutual fund is a pure investment product with no life cover and no lock-in, other than in specified schemes.
  • ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan is a unit linked life insurance plan with 21 segregated funds and four investment options.
  • Switching between funds within a ULIP is permitted, with no charge on switches.
  • GST is not applicable on individual life insurance premiums.
  • ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan offers policy terms of 10 to 40 years and premium paying terms of 5 to 40 years.
  • ABSLI settled 98.86%* of individual death claims in FY 2025-26.
  • In this policy, the investment risk in the investment portfolio is borne by the policyholder.

How to Buy ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan

  1. Visit lifeinsurance.adityabirlacapital.com/ulip-plan/ and select ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan.
  2. Choose Classic Option or Assured Option, and enter age, premium amount and policy term to generate a benefit illustration.
  3. Select your investment option and fund allocation from the 21 available segregated funds.
  4. Review charges, lock-in and partial withdrawal rules in the policy document.
  5. Add riders if required, complete the proposal form with full disclosure and pay online.

Compare fund options and policy terms for ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan at lifeinsurance.adityabirlacapital.com/ulip-plan/.

*Individual death claim settlement ratio of 98.86% for FY 2025-26, as per annual audited figures submitted to IRDAI. Tax benefits are subject to prevailing tax laws and conditions. ULIPs are subject to market risks. Views are for information and not investment advice. Please read product brochures carefully and consult an advisor before purchasing any policy.

IN THIS POLICY, THE INVESTMENT RISK IN INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO IS BORNE BY THE POLICYHOLDER. Linked insurance products are different from traditional insurance products and are subject to risk factors. The premium paid in linked insurance policies is subject to investment risks associated with capital markets. The NAVs of the units may go up or down based on the performance of the fund and factors influencing the capital market and the insured is responsible for his/her decisions. The linked insurance products do not offer any liquidity during the first five years of the contract. ABSLI is only the name of the Life Insurance Company and ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan is only the name of the linked insurance contract and does not in any way indicate the quality of the contract, its future prospects or returns. The various funds offered under this contract are the names of the funds and do not in any way indicate the quality of these plans, their future prospects and returns. Past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance.

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited, Registered with Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDAI) as Life Insurance Company. Registered Office: One World Center Tower 1, 16th Floor, Jupiter Mill Compound, 841, Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone Road, Mumbai – 400013. Toll free no. 1800-270-7000. https://lifeinsurance.adityabirlacapital.com/ | care.lifeinsurance@adityabirlacapital.com | CIN: U99999MH2000PLC128110 | Registration No. 109.

“BEWARE OF SPURIOUS PHONE CALLS AND FICTITIOUS / FRAUDULENT OFFERS” IRDAI or its officials do not involve in activities like selling insurance policies, announcing bonus or investment of premiums. Public receiving such phone calls are requested to lodge a police complaint.

For more details on risk factors, terms and conditions please read the sales prospectus carefully before concluding a sale. Life insurance coverage is available in these products.

ABSLI Wealth Aspire Plan (UIN 109L100V06), ABSLI Super Term Plan (UIN 109N153V02)

Note to the Reader: This article is part of Mint’s promotional consumer connect initiative and is independently created by the brand. Mint assumes no editorial responsibility for the content.

The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute any financial advice.



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