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.