1 Insurance companies offer unit linked pension plans, which are marketlinked products, specifically designed for investors looking for retirement planning products.

2 Investors have a choice about the asset allocation of the fund they invest in. It can be 100% equity, 100% debt, or some sort of a mix of the two--depending on their risk profile.

3 Switching is also permitted in ULPP, thus allowing investors to change their fund-profile with life cycle changes. Young investors may start with 100% equity and gradually switch to debt as they near retirement.

4 When investors retire, they can withdraw onethird of the accumulated corpus, tax-free. The balance amount must be used to buy an annuity plan, which will be the source of regular but fully taxable pension.

5 Pension plans are meant to be longterm products. Premature exit from these plans is generally discouraged.Investors can withdraw 33% of the corpus at maturity.