PPF as part of Asset Allocation plan

What proportion of your investments are tucked away in fixed income securities like bond or debt funds? Bank fixed deposits? While these investment avenues may be good options but do you consider what you put away in your PPF account in this category?
All the time our financial advisers will sell us equity funds, debt fund or ULIPs, but what none of them will recommend is your PPF account, yet this is possibly the best fixed income vehicle that is available in India. The only time PPF is considered is for its tax benefits. But is that tax benefit the only reason to invest in PPF.
Simply, a PPF is an account where you get a tax benefit on investment, tax free returns of 8% (as of now), and any cash you take out is fully tax free. Most people will look at only the first component, and ignore the other two.
Here is what you should be doing: try to use up your 1 lakh limit for EPF and  insurance first. The tax benefits from your PPF account will accrue over the years and may even outstrip any bond, fixed deposit or debt fund. This is because the 8% you get is tax free, unlike any returns from other places. And of course, Bharat Sarkar ensures the safety of your investment.

LIC Charges? Can't see them!

Why are there no details of any of the charges levied by LIC on their policies on their website (www.licindia.in)? I am looking at getting some insurance, and was advised that LIC would be the most effective solution, but unfortunately I can find absolutely no indication of the costs that I will incur. This applies, for example, to Cash Back or ULIP type policies, where most of my money should go towards investment in some form, while the insurance company keeps some operating costs.

Maybe, the costs are there and its only me who cannot find them. The closest I came to was 'The Unit Fund is subject to various charges and value of units may increase or decrease, depending on the Net Asset Value (NAV).' at http://www.licindia.in/profit_plus_features.htm. In contrast, other insurance companies, HDFC Standard Life for example, clearly mention the charges applicable on their policies.

It is a shame that LIC is not being forthright with its potential customers. Maybe its just bad website design and not an attempt to hide information, but given that it is the largest insurer in India, one would expect better.

Why?

This is a collection of notes I make while investing. So far, I have a small collection of stocks on the BSE and NSE while the bulk of my investments are in mutual funds.
This blog is a repository of notes while I explore new avenues for investment and personal finance.