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Wealth

Lifeplan Investment Bond

A simple, tax-advantaged way to build, secure and pass on wealth – across generations

Grow wealth

With an extensive and diverse choice of investment options from leading fund managers, and the flexibility to switch options at any time.

Protect your assets

Secure inheritance transfers to ensure wealth passes to intended beneficiaries.

Support future generations

Financially support others while maintaining flexibility and control over how and when funds are accessed and transferred.

About the Lifeplan Investment Bond

Lifeplan Investment Bond is our most versatile investment bond – we’ve designed it knowing that one size doesn’t always fit all.

It’s been created to support you through life transitions and changes, whether you’re just starting to build wealth, planning for retirement, thinking about your legacy or working out how to support future generations, with control and flexibility.

With Lifeplan Investment Bond, you’ll have access to a wide range of investment options and features that make managing, growing and passing on wealth feel straightforward.

All within a single, simple structure.

A couple sitting on the tailgate of a car in a grass field

One bond. Multiple Strategies.

Accelerate wealth building

Complement your super
For tax-effective investing when contribution caps are reached.

Flexibility when you need it
Access your money at any time.

Disciplined investing
Add to your investment each year (up to 125% of the previous year’s contribution) and let time and consistency do the heavy lifting.

Freedom to adjust
Switch between investment options as your goals or risk appetite evolve.

Ownership that suits you
Hold the bond individually, jointly, or through a company or trust.

An illustration of a person stacking multicoloured boxes.

Support your family and future generations

Lifeplan Investment Bond is designed for intentional giving and commonly used to help with:

Education costs
Reducing student debt
Travel, weddings or starting a family
Home and/or vehicle costs and updates

With our Lifeplan Child feature, you can invest for someone under the age of 16, stay in control while they’re growing up, and choose when and how they receive it without any additional personal tax or fees.

The Future Wealth Transfer feature helps you do the same for anyone over the age of 16.

An older couple enjoying a coffee in the kitchen

Clear and simple estate planning

Lifeplan Investment Bond can be used to direct proceeds to your estate or directly to beneficiaries.

This may be particularly effective where:

Family structures are complex
Confidentiality or discretion is important
Beneficiaries might need to be treated differently
Clarity of decision and minimising risk of potential future dispute matters.

Wealth Preserver enables proceeds to be paid as a lump sum, deferred lump sum, future income stream or combination of both.

FAQs

Fees and other costs updates

Fees and other costs
We regularly monitor fund managers and our fees and other costs, and we will update you of any changes via our website australianunity.com.au/wealth

Further information
If you have any questions, please contact the Investor Services team on 1300 1300 38 or email enquiries@australianunity.com.au, or the Adviser Services team on 1300 133 285 or email investmentbonds@australianunity.com.au

Visit our website australianunity.com.au/wealth for any further fee changes to the investment options on the Lifeplan Investment Bond menu.

What is an investment bond?

What is an investment bond?
An investment bond is a long-term investment structure that helps you grow wealth, control how it’s used and pass it on across generations.

Simply put, it’s a tax-paid and tax-efficient investment vehicle that blends access to investment options – such as index funds, equity/share funds and ETFs – with additional estate planning features unique to life insurance structures.

How is your money invested?
You can choose from a range of investment options where your money is pooled together with money from other investors to buy a range of assets, such as bonds, shares or property. Our investment options are professionally managed by Australian and global fund managers, and offer a range of investment options to meet your desired timeframe, return and risk appetite.

What are the estate planning features?
An investment bond can be structured to direct proceeds to your estate or directly to beneficiaries in the event of death.

By nominating beneficiaries, proceeds are paid as a tax-free lump sum on your death, typically bypassing wills, probate administration and associated delays.

The Wealth Preserver and Future Wealth Transfer features enable you to arrange for proceeds to be paid as a series of regular payments or lump sum in the event of your passing or at a future date.

What makes an investment bond tax effective?

What is the 10-year rule?

Investment Bonds can be one of the most tax-effective, long-term savings vehicles, with advantages at their greatest when held for more than 10 years.

When you hold an investment bond for 10 years, you can withdraw your money with no personal income tax to pay on interest earned, subject to the 125% contribution rule.

What is the 125% contribution rule?

You can make additional contributions over the life of your investment.
During the first year, there is no limit to the amount you can contribute. In each subsequent year, you can contribute up to 125% of the previous year’s total to maintain the same tax benefits.

If you contribute more than this, the start date of the 10-year rule will reset.

Setting up a regular savings plan with ongoing contributions can help you manage this.

What other tax benefits apply?

Tax on investment earnings is paid by us within the bond, at a tax rate of up to 30%, with no further requirement to report earnings in your personal annual tax return if held for more than 10 years.

No personal capital gains tax is incurred for switching between investment options or when making withdrawals from your investment.

If you make a withdrawal from your bond within the first 10 years, your earnings are simply assessed at your marginal tax rate. You will also receive an automatic tax offset for tax already paid – currently equal to 30% of your assessed amount.

Does this mean I do not get the 50% CGT discount?

The 50% CGT discount is only available if you are assessed for CGT.

Your realised investment bond growth is not treated as a realised capital gain, under current Australian tax rules.

10Invest investment bond tax effectiveness

_{Note: the proportion of earnings that is assessable reduces in Years 9 and 10.}

How do I invest?

Who can invest?
The Lifeplan Investment Bond is for anyone over the age of 10, as well as multiple investors (joint owners), companies and trusts. Keep in mind that children between the ages of 10 and 16 will need parental and guardian consent.

How much do I need to get started?
You’ll need to make a minimum contribution of $1,000. You can make extra contributions by direct debit, BPAY®, mailing us a cheque, or setting up a regular savings plan. The minimum regular deposit amount is $100 per month, per investment option.

What do I need to apply?
Read the PDS so that you are sure that this product is right for you and then complete and return the application form by following the instructions in the PDS. You’ll also need to make your initial contribution either by direct debit, BPAY® or cheque, and send us a Certified ID (if you’re not using a financial adviser). Once this is completed, we’ll process your investment.

What investment option is right for me?
As all investments carry risk, you should read all PDS and Additional Information Document to ensure you are choosing an investment option that is right for your risk appetite.

Those who are comfortable with only a low level of risk, should consider conservative options, whereas investors less concerned by short term volatility and wanting to take on more risk, might invest predominately in growth options.

Can I invest in more than one option?
You can invest in one, all, or a mixture of our extensive and diverse range of investment options, with a range of risk profiles to suit your risk tolerance and investment goals.

The minimum investment is $1,000 and can be spread over any/all options provided in the PDS and Additional Information Document. You can also change your investment options at any time.

Who are all the parties in an investment bond?

Owner: the person who “owns” the investment bond and makes the important decisions.

Life Insured: Since an investment bond is structured as a life policy, a Life Insured must be nominated. This means that the bond can be redeemed if the Life Insured dies before the ten-year period has expired, with no additional tax payments. The Owner will nominate who this person is in the application form.

Beneficiaries: These are optional and receive the proceeds of the investment bond should the Life Insured/s pass away.

Why do I need to nominate a Life Insured?
With an investment bond you are required to nominate at least one “Life Insured”, a person whose life is insured under your policy. When this person dies it will trigger the policy to mature. If this occurs your full investment will be paid with no additional tax payments, regardless of whether you have reached the 10-year tax paid status.

The Owner automatically becomes the Life Insured person, at the time of application, unless you nominate a different person.

You can nominate a Life Insured person(s) at any time during your policy. However, if you nominate one or more persons as the Life Insured, the policy will not mature until the last nominated Life Insured person passes away.

Who can be a beneficiary?
An investment bond allows you to pass your investment to nominated beneficiary(s) tax free if you pass away. Beneficiaries can be of any age, non-related, or even a company, trust or charity.

Can I make this investment on behalf of a child?

You can invest on behalf of a child under the age of 16 whilst retaining full control of the investment. It can then be transferred to the nominated child between the ages of 10 and 25. You will need to specify this ‘vesting’ age in your application Policies cannot be transferred to a child under the age of 10.

What happens after the vesting age is reached?
Once the nominated date/age has been reached, the policy will automatically convert to the child without incurring any fees or charges.
Importantly, the 10-year rule does not restart, and the original commencement date of the investment continues, ensuring that the 10-year tax concessions are preserved.
If the policy has been transferred to the child during the ages of 10 to 16, any withdrawals and contributions need a parent or guardian’s consent.

Can I change the vesting age for my nominated child?
You can change the vesting age at any time before it occurs. This can be done by contacting our Investor Services team.

Resources

Forms

Access forms for additional contributions, change of details, switch options and more.

Announcements

Performance and Unit Prices

Access unit price and performance information for all funds

Underlying PDSs

The Lifeplan Investment Bond provides access to an extensive and diverse range of investment options, offering exposure to a range of asset classes and sectors.

Each investment option available through the Lifeplan Investment Bond invests into portfolio(s) managed by appointed investment managers. The Lifeplan Investment Bond PDS and Additional Information Document should be read in full before making a decision to invest.

The links below provide you access to the latest PDSs for each of the investment options.

Important information

©The Lifeplan Investment Bond is issued by Lifeplan Australia Friendly Society Limited ABN 78 087 649 492 AFS Licence number 237989 (‘Lifeplan’), a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian Unity Limited ABN 23 087 648 888. Products are issued by Lifeplan. Information provided here is indicative and general in nature and has not taken into your account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Any decisions relating to a financial investment should only be based upon a consideration of your overall objectives, current and anticipated situation or needs, and should not be influenced by historical data such as past performance. You should read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). The PDS and Target Market Determination (TMD) is available on this website.

Any tax information provided here and in any disclosure documents is general in nature and is only intended to provide a guide on how tax may affect investors. Tax laws may change in the future and may affect an investor’s tax position. Investors should seek independent tax advice relevant to their circumstances.

How to apply

If you are an investor who is interested in our LifePlan Investment Bond, please contact your financial adviser to discuss your options. For any other questions, please call 1300 130 038

Application requirements

Before you apply, please note - this fund is only available to investors who:

• have received personal financial advice in relation to the financial product and where the issuance is necessary to implement that personal financial advice; or
• make an initial investment of $500,000 or more.

If you do not provide your financial adviser details, we cannot accept your application.

Step 1

Register 

Before applying to invest in our Lifeplan Investment Bond you’ll need to be a registered financial adviser with Australian Unity.
Visit our adviser portal to register. Already registered? Skip to Step 2.   

Step 2

Submit an application 

You can submit an application online using our adviser portal or, complete and return the application form along with the initial investment amount using direct debit, BPAY ® or cheque. 

Product Disclosure Statement & Application Form

Apply now

Contact us 

Adviser Services 1300 133 285 

Distribution Team