MetLife Investor Advantage | Review | Financial Planning in Dubai

MetLife in UAE has launched Investor Advantage - a unique Investment Plan.

It offers both Lump-sum or Regular Premium Investment options.

It is the only savings plan in UAE with the premium payment term as low as one year...

MetLife Investor Advantage

The Investor Advantage Plan aims to help expats save and invest during the current times of uncertainty, where they are not sure if they can continue investing for the long term.

The following are the highlights of the features and benefits of the plan, followed by my summary and review.

Premium Options

This plan has the following five premium payment options;

  1. Lump-sum Investment (Minimum Investment $30,000)
  2. 12 months - Regular Investment (Minimum Investment $2,500/month)

In addition to the above premium payment options, it is also possible to invest additional lump sum premiums at any point (Minimum Investment $250)

The wide choice of premium options helps investors with different investment needs and cash flow situation to invest on their own terms.

For Eg: You can invest in this plan by paying only 12 months premiums with a maturity term of 5 years only...

Which means you can pay 12 monthly premiums only and average his unit buying cost over a period of 12 months.

Investment Options

MetLife offers more than 180 direct funds for investing within this plan, which include;

  1. Low-cost Index funds from iShares one of world's largest ETF companies
  2. Equity Funds from leading fund houses like Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, Schroders, Invesco, Kotak, Blackrock and others
  3. Bond Funds from leading fund houses
  4. Money Market funds
  5. Commodity Funds

This wide range of investment funds helps you create a robust portfolio of low-cost index funds & Mutual Funds depending on your investment goals and horizon.

Plan Features

Contribution period
12, 24, 36 or 48 months
Payment Modes
Single/Annual/Monthly
Currency
USD, GBP, EUR
Maturity
Age 95
Death Benefit
101% of the account value
Payout Option
Lumpsum or annuity
Partial Withdrawals
Four free partial withdrawals per year subject to maximum withdrawal limits
Fund Switching
Unlimited and free 


The Insurance Advantage

Investor Advantage has built-in life insurance. In the event of the policy holder’s death, 101% of the account value will go directly to the beneficiary. It helps avoid unnecessary inheritance challenges and implication of Sharia Law.

 Charges

Premium Charge

The charges of this plan are based on the planned premium or the first year premium.

MetLife_future_protect_premium_chargeThe following table shows you the charges payable each year for an investment of $30,000 for different premium payment terms;

MetLife_future_protect_premium _charge_in_USD

The charges are based on the contract term (between 5 - 8 years for different premium options). There are no premium charges after the contract period.

Also, there are no surrender charges after the contract period.

Management and Expense Charge (M&E)

Table Showing the MetLife Future Protect M&E Charges

While the premium charge is taken only during the contract term, the M&E charge continues throughout the period the investment is held with MetLife.

Early Surrender

Given the short term contract of the Investor Advantage(5 to 8 years) surrenders are better avoided. In the event of early surrender, the charges for early withdrawal are a lot.

However, partial withdrawal is free four times a year. 

Summary & Review

  • Given the lower minimum investment threshold, shorter contract terms and lower charges in comparison to other regular investment plans; the MetLife Investor Advantage Plan is the right choice for investing your savings.
  • You can remain invested in the plan as long as you want, even after the contract term by only paying the M&E charges, which makes the equation more attractive.
  • The 1, 2 and three-year premium payment options would be useful for expats looking at maximizing the investment opportunity in the short term.
  • All in all, this is a fresh & new approach among offshore investment plans, providing access to some of the best investment funds from leading fund houses around with world.

Free Unbiased Consultation

Damodhar Round Home (1)-2As an Independent Financial Advisor, I can help you set up a Holistic Financial Plan and choose the most suitable investment/protection plans available in UAE.

My professional qualifications include certifications in Financial Planning, Investments and Insurance from CII - The Chartered Insurance Institute - UK - the premier professional organization in the insurance and financial services industry.

You can view the testimonials of my clients here.

Click here to arrange a free consultation

 

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