It can be a great tool to ensure that you receive bulk amounts at pre-determined times of your lives or your children's lives. So lets say, you know there is an expense which you would have to incur for your child's higher studies, 15 years from now. So take an insurance plan which matures 15 years from now. It could be an aggressive investment plan or a plan which is more in debt instruments - the returns might be lower - but they are more certain for sure.