Is a unit-linked insurance plan (Ulip) a good product? The question is asked quite often on my Twitter timeline. Life insurance industry chief executive officers talk about this all the time. And there is some media chatter on the coming of age of Ulips. What’s the truth and how should you think about it? Let us apply the principles first. A financial product is bought because it solves a financial problem you have. It should perform on metrics of cost, benefits, tax efficiency and ease of transaction. It should compare well with other products that solve the same problem.